The Heart of Everything: The End of It All
by Aphrodite-Venus-u.k
Summary: Marcus Flint and Katie have made it through the return of one of the world's darkest wizards to ever live, but will they make it through the Dark War? Everything they believe will be challenged, making holding on to love a difficult task. (sequel to The Heart of Everything and The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay)
1. Prologue: The Mission

Prologue: The Mission

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

The dark, Gothic features of Malfoy Manor stood against the dark English night. The moon casted an eerily light on one of the many towers.

A faint figure appeared in the moonlight. It was a man with long black robes and pale skin. He kept looking behind him every few seconds. He knew that members of the Order had been following him. He hoped that his little detour through Wales had gotten them off his back.

He slowly pushed open the great doors and stepped inside the darkened manor. He could hear faint voices taking toward the east end of the manor. The figure walked in that direction.

He kept his head down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. With each step, the voices got louder.

He slowly pushed open the dining room door and stepped in.

"Ah, Severus," the Dark Lord said in greeting. "Do have a seat," He tapped the empty seat next to him.

Snape made his way past the other Death Eaters. The Malfoys looked like they was going to be sick, while Bellatrix had a wide smirk on her face. The others just stared blankly ahead.

Once Snape was seated, Lord Voldemort turned to the group. "Harry Potter is to be moved." He paused and looked at his followers.

""My Lord, I have heard differently. Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen," Yaxley said.

Snape fought back the urge to snort. Since when did Yaxley have any idea as to what was going on?" My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish… I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter." Snape gave Yaxley a look.

Yaxley held Snape's glare.

Lord Voldemort nodded at this information. "We need to know for sure and your mission is going to be to find out what day for sure."  
>Snape just nodded. "Yes, my Lord." He was puzzled. Since when did the Dark Lord ever question anything Snape said? Bellatrix was eyeing Snape; this made him wonder if she had anything to do with the Dark Lord's sudden doubting.<p>

The Dark Lord flicked his wand and all eyes went back to him.

The Dark Lord was figuring his wand. "I want this to be done right. I must now what day the boy is to be moved." His cold eyes darted to everyone in the room. "He's a teenage boy, but he always seems to outsmart you."  
>"We won't let that happen again," Belllatrix said.<p>

"You better not."  
>Snape stared down at the wooden table. How long would this last? The Dark Lord would not let this war end until Harry Potter was laying dead in front of him. They both could not be allowed to live and Snape hoped that the boy ended the Dark Lord.<p>

The Death Eaters slowly got to their feet and left Malfoy Manor.

Snape arrived was back at his house fifteen minutes later. He sat down hard in the parlour room chair and stared into the empty fireplace. He had thought that the Dark Lord would have taken the bait, but, instead, he had questioned them. Snape really didn't blame the Dark Lord. Everyone had betrayed him at one point.

But, still, this proved that Snape's job was going to be more difficult than he first thought.

A knock sounded on Snape's door. He slowly got to his feet and wrapped his hand around his wand. He didn't get too many visitors and his guard was up. He slowly walked across the room and opened the door.

Outside there was a young woman. She pulled back her hood revealing Asian features. "Can I come in?" she asked slowly.

Before nodding, Snape looked up and down the street. Once she had stepped in, he quickly shut the door behind her.

The young woman made herself at home in Snape's favourite chair.

Snape went over the bookshelf and pulled out a book and a piece of parchment. He handed the book and parchment over. He knew that he shouldn't be doing this. This could cost all of them their lives.

The young woman took the items and looked at them closely. "Is this everything?" she asked slowly.

"It's all I could find," Snape answered as he stared down at her. He didn't trust her, but she was his only link to them.

"Good," she said as she got to her feet.

"Are you sure about this?" Snape asked. He hoped that she would back out of doing this.

She nodded. "Positive." She turned to leave. "I'll be back next week."

"I told them the real date," Snape called after her.

The young woman turned on heel and looked at him. "What did they say?"

"I just have to keep working on it. Be sure to put the word out."

The young woman nodded. "Will do.""

Snape watched her walk toward the door and listened as he heard it slam shut. He was alone with a mission. He sunk back down into his chair and pulled out a picture of a young witch. He stared at it and sighed.

This was their freedom they was fighting for.

It was her death he wanted to avenge.

**Changing things up a bit for part three of "The Heart of Everything" series. This story will take place during Deathly Hallows and will have both a prologue and epilogue. Marcus and Katie will be back in chapter one. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 1: Ghost Love Score

Chapter One: Ghost Love Score

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie rolled over to the sound of her mobile vibrating. Her room was surrounded in darkness and a quick look at the clock indicated that it was just a little past five in the morning. Whoever this was it had better be good.

She looked at the ID and considered not answering it. It was just Marcus and he really wasn't all that important. However, her gut told her otherwise.

"This had better be good," she groaned into the mobile.

"It is," Marcus said. "Can you come over?"

"Now?"

"Um...yeah.""

"My parents will hear me."

"So?"

Katie groaned, not wanting to move from her nice and cosy bed. "Just give me a few minutes."

"Okay."

"Marcus, I have a question for you?"

"Yes?"

Katie rolled out of bed. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"Yes, but not now."

"I noticed. I'll see in a bit," she said hanging up..

Groaning, Katie climbed out of bed and through on some clothes. She went downstairs and wrote a quick note to her parents, explaining where she was going. Then, she walked outside and Apparted to Marcus's house.

She looked around Marcus's barely lighted house. "Marcus?"

"Over here," Marcus called from a rocking chair that was parked in front of the large A-frame window that overlooked the lake. He closed the book he was reading and got to his feet. "Are you ready?"

Katie eyed him. "Ready for what?"

"To take a ride," he said as he pulled on a hooded sweatshirt. "I already have the horses tacked up."

Katie's eyes narrowed. "You called me out of bed to go horseback riding?"

"Yes? So?" He was almost to the door.

Katie tried not to groan. She knew that he wasn't lying about going on a horseback ride, but why so earlier. Nevertheless, she followed him out the barn, climbed on a horse, and followed him down one of the area's many riding trails.

Marcus was silent for the ride. She wondered what he was thinking, then decided otherwise; Marcus's mind could be a very scary place. He lead her up to a hilltop and stopped.

The sun was just beginning to peak up over the distant hills. Katie's face was warmed as the sun appeared in the sky, covering the darkness in a world of brilliant colours. The colours invited the darkened world to come to them and be warmed. It was just simply beautiful.

"Did you just bring me out here to watch the sun rise?" Katie asked.

Marcus shook his head and slid down Witch's back. Then, he walked away from the mare. He lead her over to a tree and tried her there. Katie followed him and did the same thing.

Marcus could feel his heart racing. He had never been so nervous in his life. Katie was asking him a bunch of questions, but he really wasn't paying attention to her. All he could focus on was that burning object in his pocket.

Marcus shook his head and slid down Witch's back. Then, he walked away from the mare. He lead her over to a tree and tried her there. Katie followed him and did the same thing.

Why was he acting so strange? It just didn't make sense to her.

"Marcus?" Katie asked as she caught up with him.

Marcus turned and looked at her. "I want to ask you something." His voice was shaking.

"Okay," Katie said with nod.

Her mouth dropped open as he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring from his back pocket. "Will you marry me?"

Katie stared at him for what seemed like forever.

Marcus felt his heart stop. Was she really going to say no to him? He stared over her shoulder. He never thought about what it would be like if she actually said no.

"Of course I will," Katie said as she threw her arms around him.

Marcus hugged her back. It felt like the weight of the world was off his shoulders.

Katie found his lips and pressed against them. Marcus kissed her back and allowed her to push him onto the ground. She ran her hands up under his shirt. Marcus fought the urge to pull away when she tickled his stomach. He knew that she did it on purpose.

A few minutes later, Katie broke the kiss. "We have so much to do."

"We do?" Marcus asked, frowning. What on Earth was she talking about?  
>She held out her hand and pulled him to his feet. "There is so many people to tell."<p>

Marcus eyed her. What was she talking about?  
>"We have to pick a date and everything else." Katie was walking back toward her horse.<p>

Marcus followed her. What happened to girls just being happy about a diamond? Why did everything have to be so complicated?  
>Katie turned back to him and smiled. "This is a new beginning."<p>

Marcus nodded.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Just think we have forever to be together now."  
>"Yes, we do," he said as he kissed her lips.<p>

Katie swung herself up onto her horse. "This doesn't mean you're forgiven."

Marcus frowned as he lifted himself up unto Witch's back. What did she mean?

"You are going to pay for waking me up this early." Katie started back toward the house.

"It's not that early!" Marcus called as he started after her.

Katie laughed. "Yeah, right."

"I haven't even been to bed yet."

"Well, now, whose fault is that?"

Marcus didn't answer as he urged Witch forward. He caught up with Katie was few minutes later. The couple rode back to Marcus's house in silence.

Once back at the barn, Katie swung herself down from her horse. She looked at Marcus and smiled. "Come here you."

Marcus climbed down from Witch and went over to her.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you, you know that right?"

Marcus nodded. "Love you too."

Katie leaned into his chest. "It's the start of something new."

Marcus smiled down at her. "You've already said that."

"I know, but I just can't stop feeling this way."

Marcus put his arm around her. "I know." His kissed her blond head.

He starred at the barn wall. His life was changing too fast. He knew that marriage would lead to a family and he wasn't sure if he was ready to be a father. He closed his eyes. He really didn't want to about being a father. It was kind of sickening. He needed to slow down and just breath.

Katie pulled away and began to un-tack her horse. "I wish I could stay, but I have some things I need to get done today."  
>Marcus nodded as he unsaddled Witch. "Okay."<p>

Katie went into the tack room.

Marcus slowly carried the saddle into the room. Why was he having these feelings of uncertainly? It wasn't Katie, it was him. There was just some things in life that scared him and he guessed that this was one of them.

Katie looked up as he entered, but didn't say a word. She had a thoughtful look on her face and he wondered what that was about, but he didn't say a word. Sometimes silence was the best thing in their relationship.

"Do you want me to put the horse away?" Katie asked a few minutes later.

Marcus shook his head. "I can do it in a few minutes."  
>"Are you sure?"<p>

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

Katie walked across the room and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later then."

"Yeah."

Katie walked out of the room and, a few seconds later, Marcus heard the familiar popping of Apparition.

He went out and lead the horses to the field. He opened the gat and watched the horses race out to the others. The horses ran around the field for a few minutes before setting into gazing. He rested his arms on the gate. Why couldn't his life be like the horses, simple and sweet?

Sometimes being human just downright difficult.

When Marcus turned to head back toward the house, he felt something wet land on his shoulder. Frowning he turned and put his hand to shoulder. When he took his hand away, he saw that it was the colour.

"What the hell?" he muttered. He felt under his T-shirt and didn't feel any blood.

Marcus's eyes narrowed. What was going on here? He started walking again and didn't make it more than a few metres before he heard something crunch under his boot. He pulled his foot back and saw the bloodied form of a raven. He jumped a metre or so back. Why was there a random dead on his land?

He stared up at the sky. It was a rare sunny day in England and he could see no other ravens. Marcus walked around the raven. He would have to take of it later. Right now, he just wanted to change his shirt and get breakfast.

He made his way up to his house and was just about to enter the house when he heard a pop behind him. Marcus turned slowly and saw another raven lying on his deck. He walked slowly over to it and frowned. Was there some kind of raven killing disease going around that he did not know about?

Marcus knelt down next the raven. Besides being dead, he really didn't see anything wrong it . It wasn't bloody. He looked closer and saw that its neck was snapped.

Marcus stood and looked around. Was this someone's idea of a sick and twisted idea of joke? He didn't see anyone.

Above, a wall of ravens exploded from the forest. He could hear their cries of death. The cries sent a shiver from the unknown down his spine. This was just creepy. There was no other way around it. The more me looked, the more that they mixture together into one. Their eyes, oh, their eyes, were the worst thing in the mix. Their eyes were the only thing that did not blend into the mass. He knew, and it felt like, there was thousands, upon thousands, of them watching him. He watched their jet, black bodies disappear into the grey sky. Even after they was gone, their cries still chilled him to the bone.

Marcus rushed back into his house and stared out the window. Why was the ravens acting so strange?

He watched in horror and amazement as another wall of ravens emerged from the forest and clouded the blue sky. He watched as they flew high into the air and, then, they stopped for several minutes, just floating and not moving. Then, they crashed down to the ground. Marcus winced as he watched at least a hundred ravens die on his back yard.

He looked out at the back yard. He could just feel the ghosts starting play their love score. He gulped. Love always ended in someone's fall and a lover's cut tended to leave the victim bleeding forever. He just hoped that it wasn't anything he knew or loved.

With shaking hands, he reached into his hand pocket and pulled out his mobile. He punched a familiar number into it. "Hello, Dad, it's raining ravens here."

"What?" Brad exclaimed into the mobile.

Marcus stared out at the dead ravens. "Yeah, it's literally raining ravens here."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

**So, a number of things happened in this chapter. As always, thanks for reading. **


	3. Chapter 2: Wings of Madness

Chapter Two: Wings of Madness

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Katie's vision _

Katie pulled open the front door of her family's modest home. She could not get the big smile off her face. She was getting married to the guy of her dreams. She was almost skipping as she stepped into the kitchen.

Her father, Jim, looked up from the morning paper as she slid into her normal seat at the breakfast table. "And where were you off to this morning?"

Katie pulled herself a cup of orange juice. "I have something to tell you!" She had planned to play it cool, but she couldn't contain herself. Zoey, Sierra, Jenna, and Jim all gave her strange looks. Katie didn't do anything. She was in too good of a mood to have anything ruin it.

Jenna placed a mountain of pancakes on her plate. "Well, let's have it then."

Katie held up her head so that everyone could see the ring. "Marcus asked me to marry him and I said yes!"  
>Jim turned the page of his newspaper. "I'm glad to see that the boy finally got up the courage to ask."<p>

Katie frowned. "What do you mean?"  
>"It's the middle of July. You've been of age for well over a year."<p>

"And?"

"I thought he would've asked you a lot sooner."

Katie looked at her sisters for help.

"What?" Zoey asked.

"Are you going to help me?"

Zoey smiled at Katie. "Nope, this is your battle."  
>Sierra stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth.<p>

"That's real mature," Katie pointed out.

Sierra just shrugged.

Jenna put her arm around Katie. "Well, I for one happen to think that this is very exciting news. You two need to pick a date so we can get everything in order." She smiled at Katie. "I probably should speak to Jasmine and see if she has any ideas."  
>"Great! You can break the news to her," Katie said.<p>

A confused look appeared on Jenna's face. "Why?"

"Because we all know Marcus hasn't told them yet." Katie took a bit of pancakes.

Everyone in the room laughed.

"That's not joke," Jim spoke up. "There really is a very good possibility that he hasn't told them."

"Let's hope not," Jenna said worried.

Katie nodded as she dug into her breakfast. Would Marcus really put their wedding as second? He did seem kind of distant recently and she hoped that would not affect their marriage.

After finishing breakfast, Katie made her way up to her room. She felt a sense of longing go over her. She did not have a lot of time left in this house she had called home for eighteen and a half years. What would it be like when she left for good? She assumed that she would move into Marcus's, but she wasn't sure about that.

Sighing, she laid down on her bed and stared at the ring on her finger. What would it really be like to be married?

She closed her eyes. Life would be good, wouldn't it?

Her world began to spin. Katie tried to open her eyes, but something was controlling her, making her focus on what was happening in front of her. She thrashed around, but could not get herself out of the world in front of her.

_Bellatrix kicked Marcus again. She drew her knife up again. _

_ Marcus looked at her. His side was killing him. "Don't," he whispered. _

_ "Are you begging for mercy?" _

_ Marcus didn't answer. _

_ "Well, I don't give anyone mercy." _

_ Marcus braced himself. _

_ "Time to die." She situated the knife inside his stomach. _

_ This time, he let out a cry in angst and let darkness come over him like a runaway train. _

"_Leave him," Bellatrix said as she turned to leave. "He'll be dead within a few hours." _

Katie woke up on the fall, her entire body shaking. Marcus was okay. She had just seen him less than an hour ago. He was not lying somewhere on the ground dying. She took several calming breathes. Everything was going to be fine.

She climbed slowly back onto her bed. She had had one of these dreams earlier, but it had been years ago and nothing had happened. She had been asleep when she had the last one, but this time it had come out of nowhere.

She pulled out her mobile. Could she save Marcus from a dreadful fate? She went down to his number. She hovered over it for several minutes. Was she really going to call him and tell him that she had a something about him dying? Could she really do that?  
>She supposed that she could always text him. At least that way she wouldn't have to really talk to him. Texting would just have to work. She quickly typed, "Um, quick question. You're not dying and Bellatrix Lestrange didn't put a knife into you?"<p>

She laid her mobile down. Now all she had to do was wait.

She still felt dizzy. She wondered what had caused her to go into such a state. Was these visions going to be a regular thing or was she just feeling a little woozy from all the excitement this morning?

Katie closed her eyes. She probably just needed to sleep more, but she was afraid too. What if she had more dreams like that about Marcus? What if? There seemed to be a lot of questions with no answers.

Katie chanced a glance at her mobile. So far, he hadn't answered. It could be hours before he thought to check his mobile.

Katie pulled out her calendar. She could at least be thinking about possible dates for the wedding. She flipped through the different months. How soon did they want to have it? Did they want to wait a year or have it now?

She had to think about bride's mates as well. Did she want a lot or just a couple? Who would they be? Who would be her maid of honour?  
>She sighed and slammed her calendar shut. There was just too many questions to really do anything right now. Plus, she wanted Marcus to be a part of this. It was his wedding too. She did not want to be one of those control freaks brides who never let anyone else do anything.<p>

Katie walked out of her room. Jenna had been through this before; she probably had some ideas.

Katie stopped at the top of the steps and looked down. The steps seemed to stretch for kilometres. She stepped back against the wall. She needed to get her act together. She could not let one little spell control her life.

She marched back toward the stairs and eyed them. Right before her eyes, the stairs returned to their normal state. She walked down them with her head held high. Whatever was going on with her was not going to stop her.

Katie stepped into the living room. She could hear the radio reading off the list of the missing. The monotone voice filled the room. Jenna was sitting fully focused in front of the radio. Katie found that she was better off not listening to it; she hated the long lists and not knowing if someone you loved name would be read.

"Jenna," Katie said as she stepped into the room.

Jenna's head darted up and she quickly turned the radio off. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

Katie sat across in the chair across from her stepmother. "Did you hear anything?"  
>Jenna shook her head. "There was a long list, but I didn't know any of them."<p>

Katie nodded. "It's getting worse."

"I know, but it's not nearly as bad as last time."

Katie didn't respond. She didn't remember what it had been like last time. She couldn't think of anything worse than this. Hundreds were dying each day and thousands were leaving the country. Life was really flying on the wings of madness. How could anything be worse?

Jenna smiled over at Katie. "Enough about that. We have some great times coming our way."

Katie nodded. "Indeed we do. I came to ask you what all needs to be done."

"I always find it best to make a list. Now, you need to get on Marcus about his guest list like tomorrow. You know how men like to wait until the last minute to do things."

Katie nodded. "Tell me about it."

With shaking hands, Jenna pulled out a piece of paper and pen. "I always find it helpful to write these things down."

Katie nodded slowly. She could not take her eyes of her stepmother's shaking hands. What was going on with her? "Jenna-" Katie started in.

"Now, you need to be thinking of what colours you want to use," Jenna went on without acknowledging Katie.

Katie gently grabbed Jenna's hands. "What's going on?"

Jenna just sighed and looked away. "You know how our life is."

Katie frowned as she thought about her family's past. She was from a middle-class half-blood family. Both of her parents attended Hogwarts. Her mum was a pureblood witch and her dad a Muggle. Her mum's family didn't approve of the relationship. They had two children: Katie's older brother, Anthony and Katie. When she was five, her parents got a divorce. Shortly after the divorce, her mum remarried. She had one son, Seth. Three years after it, her dad remarried. He had two daughters: Sierra and Zoey. Katie lived with her stepmom, Jenna, and her dad. She didn't get along with her stepdad, Mike.

"You can't think that," she muttered.

Jenna stared ahead. "Last time, they rounded up Muggle-borns by the hundreds and killed them."

"But, you don't know that it's going to happen to us," Katie said gently. Her heart was racing. She couldn't allow herself to think that something awful would happen to them.

Jenna stood up. "But we don't know that it's not." She walked across the room and looked out the window. "It's getting more dangerous with each passing day."

Katie went over to the window to join Jenna. "I know, but can't let fear control us."

Jenna stared out at the sunny day. "I know."

Katie wondered how that could have gone from talking about a wedding to this. In other times, they would just be focusing on the wedding and not worrying about dying. These were not other times. Each day was a blessing.

Jenna shook her head. "I don't want to say anything about it to the girls. They will just panic."

Katie nodded. "They don't need to know about this yet, but the time will come."

"I know. I don't know if we are going to send them back to Hogwarts." Jenna paused. "With Dumbledore gone, your dad and I don't know if it's worth it. Plus, we have to think about what happened to you last year."

Katie didn't respond. What was she supposed to say to that?

Jenna sighed and turned away from the window.

"I think it's safe to say that the odds are not in our favour," Katie muttered.

Jenna let a small laugh escape her lips. "I guess you are right. Enough about this, we have a wedding to plan."  
>"Yes, we do."<p>

"Have you talked to Marcus since this morning?" Jenna asked.

"I tried to text him, but he hasn't answered," Katie said.

Jenna shook her head. "There's another typical man move. They are never around when you need them the most."

Katie laughed, but she just hoped that was a joke.


	4. Chapter 3: Here's My Hell

Chapter Three: Here's My Hell

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus looked up as his father, Tonks, and Remus stepped into his living room.

Brad looked out the window at the dead ravens and turned to Marcus. "I see what you're saying now."  
>Tonks gave Marcus a small smile. "I thought you were drunk," she said in a playful voice.<p>

"Very funny," Marcus muttered.

Tonks put her arm around him. "Very funny." She took her hand off when she felt the blood on his shoulder. "This better not have a disease."

"I hope not," Marcus said.

Brad and Remus pushed open the door and stepped out onto the deck. Tonks and Marcus followed. Brad and Remus were muttering about something that Marcus could not make out.

"They just fell from the sky?" Remus asked as he turned to face Marcus.

Marcus nodded. "I was just coming back from the barn and the next thing I knew it was raining ravens."  
>"Huh." Remus frowned at the dead raven at his feet. "Do you normally see a lot of ravens?"<br>Marcus shook his head. "This is the first time I've ever really seen them. They just came out of the nowhere and died."  
>"Huh," Brad said. "I've never seen anything like it."<p>

"Me either," Tonks added.

"What would have caused a bunch of ravens to fly like that?" Remus asked.

"Maybe there were afraid of something," Marcus mused. He felt like an idiot for saying that.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "That could very well be true. Everything has been funny lately. I wouldn't be surprised if even the birds were feeling it."

Brad and Tonks nodded.

"I also would like to believe that Marcus is a bird killer and has some strange phobia of them and just wishes that they would all die," Tonks added.

"I believe you are the one with the phobia of birds," Marcus stated.

Tonks just gave him a look. "That was supposed to be between you and me."  
>"This is not a time to keep secrets," Marcus pointed out.<p>

"Some things, like that, do not need to be made known to the public."

Remus studied Tonks. "I didn't know you were afraid of birds."

Tonks gestured to the dead ravens. "Can we please keep on task people?"

Remus just shrugged.

"Are there any dead ravens on the other side of the lake?" Brad asked Marcus.

"I haven't looked," Marcus admitted.  
>Tonks put her hand on Marcus's shoulder. "We'll go look." Without waiting for an answer, she began to pull him down over the hill.<p>

Marcus frowned as he went around a dead raven. Why was Tonks being all touchy with him? They normally got along really well, but were never this touchy. He had a feeling that a touchy Tonks was a bad thing.

As they crossed the dam, Tonks kept looking over her shoulder. "Okay, I think they're gone."

"Huh?"

"Your dad and Remus. They're still up on the deck."

"Isn't that where they're supposed to be?"  
>Tonks rolled her eyes. "Men are so clueless."<p>

Marcus frowned. He had a feeling that he was not going to like where this was going.

"You know about Remus and I and the fact that we have only just gotten together. It's taken way too long for that in my book. Anyway, I want to get married this summer, but he wants to wait until after this war is over. I keep thinking the longer we wait, the less of a chance there is of us getting married, you know?" Tonks said very quickly.

Marcus nodded slowly. Wasn't this the kind of thing that she should be talking about with female friends? The last time Marcus checked he wasn't a female.

"I was just wondering if you could give me an idea as to how the male brain functions." Tonks smiled at him.

"Are you going to help me with the female brain?" Marcus asked as he stepped off the dam.

Tonks waved her hand at him. "Don't be silly! A woman's brain is the easiest thing in the world to read."

Marcus snorted.

"That kind of attitude will get you in trouble with the ladies, young man," Tonks said, shaking her finger at him.

Marcus didn't answer.

"See you are learning. There is some hope for the male species."

Marcus wasn't sure if he liked this talk.

Tonks put her hands on her hips and looked around. "I don't see any ravens."  
>"They flew across from here." Marcus looked around.<p>

Tonks frowned. "So, whatever scared them was over here." She pulled her wand out. "I wonder if it's gone."  
>Marcus reached into his back pocket and took out his own wand. "I don't know and I suppose you want to find out."<br>Tonks nodded. "See, a woman's mind isn't that difficult to read."  
>They stepped onto the gravel road and began to walk up the wooded hill. They both had their guard up and pointed their wands at every little movement. Marcus had to admit that this was a very strange feeling. Who knew what they was looking for? Who knew what kind of power that thing had?<br>Tonks turned down a hiking path. "Where does this go?"

"It loops around to the main highway," Marcus stated. "They all go back to the rental shops."

"Muggles?" Tonks asked.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, it's a tourist area for them."

Tonks nodded. "So, there's not really a crowd of live ins?"  
>"There's some, but they are mostly wizards."<br>"So, in other words, strangers aren't that uncommon?" Tonks asked as they turned right.

"You would be correct."

Tonks stared at her feet. "You did know that we were going to place Harry's aunt and uncle here, didn't you?"  
>Marcus nodded. He had heard something about it, but didn't really know the details.<p>

"I don't think they will now."  
>"It's probably for the best."<br>Tonks put her hands on her hips. "We really can't risk it now." She shook her head and swore. "Mad Eye is not going to be happy about this."  
>"Why do you think I didn't call him?"<p>

"Because he doesn't have a phone."

Marcus heard voices and froze. He put his hand out in front of Tonks. "Someone's coming."

Tonks listened. She changed her hair to an bleached blond and shortened her nose length. She put her hand into Marcus's and pulled him closer. Their shoulders were now touching. "I think this is the perfect spot for us. No press and no other girls. Plus, you're stupid girlfriend wouldn't dare look for us here." She ran her other hand down Marcus's back.

Marcus stared into her eyes and smirked. He wanted to pull away from her so badly, but he knew he couldn't.

Two men rounded the corner and eyes them.

Marcus buried his face into Tonks neck. This was kind of disturbing to him.

Tonks moaned, but Marcus knew she was trying not to gag.

One of the men gave Marcus a thumbs up. Marcus recognized him from the Death Eaters meeting, but was not sure of his name. He probably hear all about this the next time he went to a meeting.

"That feels good," Tonks whispered loud enough for the men to hear her. "I just want to lock you up and play with you all the time."  
>The men rounded the corner. Neither Marcus or Tonks moved for several minutes.<p>

"Never again," Marcus muttered as he pulled away from Tonks.

"So, that was just as bad for you as it was for me?" Tonks asked.

They turned back toward Marcus's house.

"Yep."

"Good, because you're really not my type."  
>"Why? Because I'm younger?" Marcus asked.<p>

Tonks slapped his arm. "Older men are much more mature than you."  
>"I'll be twenty-one in a few weeks."<p>

"You're only twenty?" Tonks turned to look at Marcus.

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing," Marcus muttered.

Tonks shook her head. "I just never realized how young you actually was."

Marcus frowned. He wondered what that was supposed to mean.

"I thought you were a little bit older than that," Tonks said as they walked across the dam.

"Afraid not," Marcus said as he fell in step with her.

"Huh," Tonks said.

Marcus wondered what difference age made in this war.

They crossed the rest of the dam in silence, only moving out of a straight path to dodge the dead ravens.  
>Marcus could make out three figures on his deck now. He wondered who could be there now.<p>

Tonks looked right and left of them. "At least, it doesn't look like it's only your yard."

"Yeah," Marcus said.

Tonks cracked her knuckles. "I am just going to have to sit down and talk to Remus about this whole romance thing."  
>"Uh-huh," Marcus muttered. He could know make out the third figure out. It was his mother. This was not going to be good.<p>

Tonks walked a few metres ahead of Marcus.

"Did you see anything?" Remus asked as they approached.

"Death Eaters," Tonks replied.

"Really?"

Tonks nodded. "Yep."

"Who?" Brad asked.

Marcus shrugged. "I've only seen them a couple of times."

"New?" Remus asked.

Marcus nodded. "Why would they have killed ravens?"  
>"Bored," Tonks muttered.<p>

"I think it's a warning," Marcus said. "Natalia mentioned something about the Death Eaters knowing about the move."  
>"When was you planning on telling us this?" Brad demanded.<p>

"I just found out last night," Marcus muttered.

Brad just gave Marcus a look, but didn't say anything.

"This just messes everything up," Remus said. "We can't move them here now! We are so far behind now."  
>Tonks nodded. "There are other places."<br>Remus nodded. "I know."

"They would probably be better off out of the country," Marcus pointed out.

"I know." Remus pinched his temples.

"We would probably be better off married," Tonks added.

Remus slowly lowered his hands from his temples. "What?"  
>"I said we would probably be better off married," Tonks huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him.<p>

"Um..." Remus trailed off. He looked at Brad, Marcus, and Jasmine.

"This weekend would be nice."

"Um..."  
>"What do you have any other plans this weekend?" Tonks demanded. She got closer to Remus.<p>

"Not really," Remus muttered.

"Great! Let's have a wedding!" Tonks exclaimed.

Remus smiled. "Sure, let's get married."  
>Jasmine smiled. "That's great." She looked at Marcus. "Do you have something to tell us?"<br>"About what?" Marcus asked.

"Did you or did you not propose to Katie this morning?" Jasmine asked.

Marcus wondered how she found about that. "Maybe."

"Are you or are you not getting married?" Jasmine pushed.

"Yes," Marcus muttered.

Brad looked at Marcus. "You are?"

Marcus nodded slowly. He really didn't like having his love life out on display.

"I didn't even know you were thinking about it," Brad said.

"I didn't either," Remus added.

Jasmine smiled at Marcus and pulled him close. "I just found out from Jenna."

Marcus really hated how women were on top of weddings. It made the man's life a living hell.

"Weddings are in the air," Tonks said. "Why is it that war brings the love out?"

"I don't know," Jasmine said. "It just happens."  
>Marcus looked down at the dead raven at his feet. This was his demons and he had to face them all. Why couldn't getting married just be something simple? Why did everything have to be so complicated?<p> 


	5. Chapter 4: In the Dark

Chapter Four: In the Dark

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Katie's Vision_

_ The male puts his arm around me and I shake it off. Something is just not right about him. His body is hot and not fever hot either. It feels as if he glows against my skin. His aura feels funny. I am not one to buy into the whole aura colour thing, but this guy made me question my theory. If only I could see who he really is. _

_ The male does not reach out to touch me again. I can hear movement again. If I listen closer, I can hear the blood running down between his shoulder blades. I can hear each drop as it hits the sand with a gentle splash. The running of blood reminds me of crying. _

_ Crying is something that I have not been able to do for years. Father also said that crying made a person weak. I am not a weak person. _

_ I'm not sure how exactly I can hear the blood running and hitting the ground. I know that the loss of one sense heightens the others, but I know that it is not to this extent. I narrowed my unseeing eyes. There's something wrong with me. I just know it! _

_ I reach out and touch the male's back. I'm not sure why I am doing this. It's like I'm drawn to him. Even though I can't see it, I know there is something wrong with his aura. The never ending flow of blood isn't normal. I really don't know much about the medical field, but a little voice is telling me that he should have bled to death by now. _

Katie sat up grasping. She ran her hand through her blond hair and looked around her dark bedroom. She hadn't gotten hardly any sleep these past few nights. The dreams kept coming and grew darker with each passing night.

She reached over to her nightstand and flipped on the light. She blinked a few times as it slowly came on. She was alone in her room, but she could have sworn that she had felt some kind of presence here.

"Get a grip," she muttered to herself.

Katie laid back against her pillows gasping. She wished that it would all stop and she could just go back to a normal life. She stared up at the ceiling. Why did this just keep happening. At least, this time it hadn't been about Marcus.

Or at least, she hoped it wasn't.

She reached underneath her bed and pulled out the book she had been reading earlier. There was no hope of her getting anymore sleep tonight. She opened it and began to read. She had just turned the page when she heard a faint pop at the end of her bed.

Katie reached for her wand and pointed it to the foot of her bed.

"You really should have protective enchantments up. You never know what kind of crazy people could come wondering into your house," a voice said.

Frowning, Katie lowered her wand. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

Marcus sat down on the edge of her bed. He was figuring his wand. "You're not asleep, so what difference does it make?"

Katie slammed her book shut and climbed down to him. "You're not asleep either."

Marcus just shrugged. "Why are you up?"

Katie frowned. Why was he the only one how got to have secrets in this relationship? "I couldn't sleep."

"Me either."  
>Katie took Marcus's hand into hers. "Just so you know, I don't want to be your wife who stands aside and lets you do all of the fighting."<br>Marcus smiled at her. "I kind of figured that."  
>"Good."<br>Marcus made little red sparks come out of the end of his wand. "I came to ask you something."

"Go on," Katie said.

"Remus and Tonks are getting married this weekend. It's nothing too big or fancy. I was just wondering if you would like to go."

Katie nodded. "That sound good. What brought this wedding on?"  
>"Tonks pretty much told Remus they was getting married and he couldn't hardly back out of it."<p>

Katie laughed. "That sound like her."  
>Marcus let a small laugh escape his lips. "Oh and thanks for that."<p>

"Thanks for what?" Katie asked.

"Calling my mum and telling her that I proposed."  
>"You didn't tell her?"<br>Marcus shook his head. "Nope."  
>"Marcus!"<br>Marcus just shrugged. "That's all I wanted to tell you."

Katie eyed him. This was not the only reason he came to her house in the middle of the night. He wanted something else. "Spill."

"Spill what?" Marcus asked.

"There's something else you want."  
>Marcus sighed. "They're moving Potter in a few weeks and they need safe houses. My parents have offered up their house, but they don't know if they will have to help with the move. Haley could be the only one there-"<p>

"And you want to me to help her," Katie finished.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

Katie was honoured, but she didn't understand something. "Why can't you do it?"

Marcus stared at his feet. "Because I'll probably have to be with the Death Eaters."

Katie nodded slowly. She had had a hunch about him being a spy. She hadn't wanted to believe it until she heard it from him. "Just be careful."

Marcus looked at her and kissed her. "You do the same."

Katie held on to him. She wanted him to be safe. "Just promise me something," she whispered.

"Anything," Marcus whispered back.

"When this thing is over, we will both come home alive."

"Will do."

"Good," Katie muttered. "Now, go home before my dad finds you here."  
>On Saturday, Katie found herself sitting in the second row of Remus and Tonk's wedding. She stared at the altar. It was very simple with daisies winding in and out of the wood work. The sun beat down on her. It really was a perfect day for a wedding.<p>

Marcus slid in next to her. Katie eyed his dress pants and dress shirt. It was a nice change to see him out of Quidditch robes or jeans.

"They should be starting anytime," Marcus said.

"You look nice," Katie pointed out.

Marcus looked down at himself. "Yeah, don't get used to it." He paused and looked at her outfit. "Should I get used to yours?"

Katie looked down at the blue dress she was wearing. "Probably not."  
>Marcus slid his hand into hers. "Kind of figured that much."<br>"Aw, you two look so cute together!" a voice exclaimed.

"Haley, don't even start," Marcus snapped at his sister as she sat down on the other side of him.

Haley just shrugged.  
>Katie gave Haley a weak smile. She had found out a few weeks ago that Haley's boyfriend had cheated on her. She could not help but to feel bad for Haley.<p>

"Hello," Hermione said as she and Ron sat down on the other side of Katie.

Haley looked around. "Where's your other partner in crime?"  
>"He's not here yet," Ginny answered as she sat down next to Katie.<p>

"Oh, that's right."  
>Hermione stared sadly ahead.<br>"Remus looks so awkward in his dress robes," Fred laughed as he and George sat down behind the group.

"Be nice," Katie said.

"I can't help it if it's the truth," Fred pointed out.

"It's just like that one time Ron danced with McGonagall," George said with a smirk.

Marcus turned back to the twins. "When did that happen?"  
>"Sixth year," the twins said together.<p>

"You should have been there," Fred said. "It was the best thing ever!"  
>Ron's ears turned bright red.<p>

Marcus looked at Ron. "I could see it."  
>Katie tried not laugh. "It was pretty funny."<p>

"Okay, can you guys shut up?" Ron snapped. He pointed in front of them. "I think the wedding is about to start."  
>Haley was looking behind them. "She's here if you want to dance later on."<p>

Ron just gave Haley a look.

"Shut up," Hermione said. "You guys are just being rude."  
>"Yeah, boys," Haley said with a smirk.<p>

Katie watched as Remus walked up to the altar and stood there with a little man. She knew that Remus and Tonks had decided not to have a bridal party. At first, Katie had been unsure about that. Now, she really liked how simple this wedding was.

Katie stood as the music began to play.

Tonks and her father were slowly making their way down the aisle. Tonks was wearing a plain, but faltering white grown. Her hair wasn't its normal pink, but a deep brown that brought out her features. Her face was glowing as she looked around at the guests with a small nod.

Tonks and her father reached the alter.

The little wizard, who Katie now recognised as the one who did Dumbledore's funeral, smiled down at Tonks and her father. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

"Her mother and I," Tonks dad replied.

Remus took Tonks hand and they stood facing each other with big smiles on their faces.

"We are gathered here today, on this happy and joyous occasion, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony," the little man said. "Marriage is a solemn institution to be held in honour by all, it is the cornerstone of the family and of the community. It requires of those who undertake it a complete and unreserved giving of one's self. It is not to be entered into lightly, as marriage is a sincere and mutual commitment to love one another. This commitment symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives and still enhances the individuality of each of you."

Tonks and Remus's smiles got bigger with each passing word. Katie hoped that she and Marcus would be as happy as Tonks and Remus were at this moment.

"Groom, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" the little man asked turning to Remus.

Remus smiled at Tonks. "I do," he answered loud and proud.

"Bride, do you take this man to be your wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?" The little wizard smiled at Tonks.

"Oh, yes! I do!" Tonks exclaimed.

"You may kiss the bride," the wizard said as he stepped back from the couple.

Remus and Tonks looked at each other as their lips met. Katie could tell they were uncomfortable with kissing in front of everything, but she found it rather cute. They were kind of the odd couple, but they really did belong together.

Remus and Tonks broke away.

"I present to you Mr and Mrs Remus Lupin!" the little wizard exclaimed.

Everyone rose to their feet and clapped as Remus and Tonks laughed happily.

Tonks cleared her throat very loudly. "You all can go to the house for a meal. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving!"  
>Laughing, Remus and Tonks lead the guests back to Tonks parents' house.<p>

Katie held on to Marcus's arm. "You see what we having to look forward to?"  
>Marcus nodded. "Can you keep me in the dark about all the details?"<p>

Katie hit him playfully. "Not a chance!"

**The wedding vows were taken from Yahoo! Answers. I really wanted to include Remus and Tonk's wedding in my story-no matter how badly it was written. Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 5: Shot In the Dark

Chapter Five: Shot in the Dark

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

A rope landed on the highest tower at Hogwarts School. Below someone tugged on it. Next to the rope, two more landed. The ropes were tugged on too. If someone was in the tower, all he or she would have to do is look below and they would see the owners.

"You ready for this?" one of the three figures below asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," one replied.

They looked at the third. He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Dude, you're actually the one who's in charge here."

The third looked at the other two. "Is that so?"

"You're the oldest and you've been in the Order the longest and you got us in here…" the first said.

"Actually that was Kingsley," the second one cut in.

"True," the first said. "But, they did put him in charge."

"Right."

The third began to climb his rope. He looked down at the other two. "Are you coming or not?"

"Right behind you."

"You could just go get the papers yourself and save us the trouble," the second one said.

The third continued climbing. "I don't think so."

"It would just had been as simple to get Dumbledore to get the papers," the first said.

The second began to climb. "No, that would have made things to simple."

Once inside the three men bolted down the dungeons. In the last dungeon there was a record room containing a list and background information on every student who ever attended Hogwarts. This was what they were after. It was only one student, but it was this student who held the key to it all. This student could save them or kill them.

The first figure walked over to one the many cabinets. He rummaged around for a moment and pulled out a fat folder. "Marcus, I found it."

Marcus strolled over to the first one. "Are you sure, George?"

"Yeah," the first said. "And I'm Fred by the way."

"Whatever." Marcus took the folder and stashed it in his robes.

The second, who was keeping watch, entered the room. "We're got company."

"Let's roll," Fred said.

Marcus nodded. "I'm in the mood for a good fight."

Fred and George exchanged looks. "Let's do this."

Marcus eyed the figures in front of him. He did not know if they were Death Eaters or not. He was hoping for the or not. He looked over at the twins. They were eyeing them too. He didn't know much about their fighting skills, but he hoped that they had some. Some was better than nothing. He hoped. They better not get him killed or he would come back just to haunt them.

They had their wands pulled out, so that was a good sign. At least their wands were pointed at the figures and not at him. Score two for the Weasley twins. Bad guys zip.

The twins exchanged looks. They knew that Marcus had his doubts and they knew that they had to prove something to him.

Marcus nodded and the threesome charged. As soon as they reached the figures, they disappeared.

"What the…" Marcus said confused.

"Dude, I don't know," Fred said equally mystified.

"You can't Apparate in Hogwarts," George said. "Or, at least, before you couldn't. Have things changed now?"

The other two shrugged.

"At least we have the papers," Marcus muttered.

Two weeks after the break in , Marcus stood across from Adrian Pucey. Both of them had their brooms gripped tightly in their hands.

"This is just like old times!" Adrian exclaimed.

While figuring his mobile, Marcus nodded. The Order was moving Harry Potter tonight and he hadn't heard anything from any of them. This was very surprising since Tonks and his dad were pretty glued to their mobiles. It was making him rather nervous.

Adrian frowned and looked over at Marcus. "Hey, are you okay?"

Marcus really hated his long time friendship with Adrian right now. They always knew when something was wrong with the other. "Yeah, I didn't sleep very good last night."

Adrian nodded slowly. "I see."

Draco Malfoy came over and joined them. "I'm supposed to be with you," he said to Marcus. "Rather, Mum told me to stay with you."

Marcus nodded. The Malfoys seemed to think that since Marcus was the son of Aurors that he was better at defensive spells and dodging hexes. If only they knew the truth. Marcus was decent at those things, but he wasn't above the average person. He was better at healing.

Adrian just snorted, but didn't say anything.

"They're ready," Draco said.

"Let's go them," Marcus said.

The three of them mounted their brooms and kicked off. As they rose higher, the other Death Eaters joined them.

The night was cool and dark; the moon only offered just a little light. Marcus was rather happy about tonight's conditions. The Muggles below would not see what was happening above them and the Death Eaters wouldn't see the Order members right away. However, the Order members wouldn't see the Death Eaters either. The Order knew the Death Eaters were coming; they just didn't know where they would be.

Marcus, Draco, and Adrian hovered over a section of highway. Marcus wasn't really sure where they were and that bothered him. Snape stopped beside them.

Snape gave Marcus a look. Marcus wasn't sure if Snape knew about him. Only a few members of the Order knew.

Marcus held Snape's glare. "Can I help you?" He would have never dared talked to Snape like that when he was at Hogwarts, but, since Snape had killed Dumbledore, the loss of respect and possibly a little of the fear was gone.

"They're coming this way," Snape stated. "Don't let them get past you! Keep south if all else fails!" He flew away.

Marcus nodded. "Whatever you say," he muttered as he took his wand out.

Draco and Adrian already had theirs out.

Marcus started into the dark night. He really hoped that no one came this way. He would be perfectly happy to sit here and hover. Yet, he knew that he needed this battle in order to completely gain the Death Eaters' trust. They still had their doubts about Marcus because of who his family was.

"THERE!" Adrian yelled pointing to their right.

So much for going unnoticed. Marcus cursed under his breath and turned to see where Adrian was pointing. Sure, enough two figures on broomstick were quickly approaching the three young wizards.

Adrian and Draco flew forward. Marcus cursed again. He had no choice, but to follow them.

Marcus stared hard ahead. He could not make out who it was and wondered why there was just two people moving Potter. He had thought that Potter would have the best protection the Order had to offer. A broomstick was usually safe, but not so much for moving someone to a safe house. Muggle transportation would have probably been the best choice for that one.

"Get ready," Marcus said to Adrian.

Adrian nodded. "Just think what it would be like for us if we were the ones to bring Harry Potter to the Dark Lord."

Marcus preferred not to think about that one.

Draco shot Adrian a look. "Just make sure he's alive or we will all pay."  
>Marcus wanted to say something back, but was cut off by a red jinx that flew in front of his face. He raised his wand and pointed it at the broomsticks. "<em>Stupefy!"<em>

The spell went behind the broomsticks. At least, the broomstick riders were close enough to be indentified now. Marcus could see that it was Tonks and Potter. That didn't make sense. Why would the Order send Potter with Tonks?  
>Tonks raised her wand. "<em>Expelliarmus!<em>"

Adrian managed to duck at the last second and the spell went harmlessly over his head. "_REDUCTO_!"

The spell only missed Potter by a few centimetres. Potter pointed his wand at the three Death Eaters and sent a wave of fire toward them.

Marcus flew higher and sent water down on the fire.

Tonks and Marcus were now circling each other. Neither one of them was sending any spells toward the other. They were just taunting each other as well as seeing who was going to make the next move. Marcus was rather nervous about duelling Tonks; he was pretty sure that she could hex him into his grave.

Marcus knew that he had to make her attack first. "Why did they pick you out of the al the others?" he taunted. "You have got to be the worse idea of protection ever invented."

Tonks gave him a look and sent a beam of lightening toward him.

Marcus dove down, but he was not quick enough. A few of the sparks landed on his arm, burning the skin beneath his robe. He cursed and sent a nasty hex toward Tonks.

Draco and Adrian were shooting a variety of curses and hexes toward Potter. Marcus watched as several of them got very close to Potter, but none of them managed to actually hit him.

Tonks was back to firing jinxes at Marcus.

Marcus raised his wand and sent a disarming toward her. He knew that she couldn't go easy on him, but still. She was just being completely evil.

Tonks and Potter dived toward the ground. Marcus, Draco, and Adrian followed them. Marcus had no idea what they were doing.

Wet clouds met them and soaked everyone to the skin. The mist made it very difficult to see. Marcus took his hand off his broomstick to wipe the water out of his eyes. Why did water have to be so wet?

When the three Death Eater came out of the clouds, they looked around, but saw nothing but darkness.

"Where did they go?" Draco asked as he looked around.

"I don't know," Adrian snapped as he looked around. "They couldn't have just disappeared."

"There's a thing called magic and, yes, it is possible for people to just disappear," Marcus pointed out.

The other two just gave him a look.

Marcus looked out as far as he could see. He was kind of relieved that they got away, but, at the same time, he kind of was concerned. The Order had kind of left him in the dark with this move thing and everything he did was really a shot in the dark.

"Now what?" Draco asked, turning to Marcus.

Marcus took his eyes off the horizon. "We keep looking."

Adrian nodded. "But where?"

Marcus flew forward. "We backtrack. They could have doubled back." He really doubted that Tonks and Potter did, but it was worth the effort. Plus, he really didn't want to go through anymore clouds to tonight.

The all turned their brooms and headed back the way they just came from. None of them said a word as they looked around them. Marcus knew that if they were going to find Tonks and Potter that it would not be an easy task. He really believed that the two of them were long gone.

Draco, Marcus, and Adrian rose higher into the July night. The higher they went the more of the Muggle world they saw. Below them, innocent Muggles were on their way home after a long day's work. They had no idea what was happening above them. Marcus wished he could gone them, but those days of innocence were long gone.

Marcus stared hard into the darkness. There was nothing. There was neither Order member or Death Eater in sight.

Maybe the Order was truly gone.

Maybe they were truly alone.

Marcus sighed. "It's no use. They're gone."  
>"Now what?" Adrian asked.<p>

"We go south, like we were told, and see what's there," Marcus said.

Marcus flew in the centre of Draco and Adrian. They went south for about ten kilometres in silence. There was nothing to see and there probably would not be anything to see.

"Now what?" Draco asked as they landed beside a small pond.

"Are we supposed to go back to your place?" Adrian asked Draco.

"Nobody really said anything."

Marcus threw his broom over his shoulder. "We probably should."

**Lots of things happen in this chapter. I have a lot to cover in this third part and I want to keep it between forty-five to fifty chapters. The break in was rather unplanned, but it will be important in later chapters. Thanks for reading! **


	7. Chapter 6: Lost Innocence

Chapter Six: Lost Innocence

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

This chapter jumps back a couple of days and then comes back to The Battle of the Seven Potters.

**Two Days Earlier**

Marcus sat down across from Katie. "Mum and Dad think they will be sent to the front lines."

"Do you think they'll get sent to the front lines?" Katie asked him.

"Don't know," Marcus replied.

"What about you?"

"Kind of already am."

Katie looked fearfully at him. One year ago, Marcus joined the Order of the Phoenix. They needed someone who could get inside the Dark Lord's inner circle and Marcus had volunteered. He never openly voiced what side he was one. Therefore, this made him the prefect man for the job. If he was caught, the punishment would be death and he knew this.

"Be careful."

Marcus took Katie's hand in his. It was cold. He rubbed it in between his to help warm it up. She did not pull away from him.

So many were going to die in this storm...

So many good, strong people were going to die...

And some would leave others asking why...

Marcus touched her. "I will, okay?"

Katie looked at him. She did not want to ask him the questions that were burning on her lips. What if something bad happened? What if you get caught? What if you get killed? She had a lot of what ifs. She kept her mouth shut. "Promise?"

He kissed her forehead. "Promise."

Katie let him kiss her, but it still did not settle her mind. She did not want to think about the ending. She was tense and could not relax.

Marcus scented it too and stopped kissing her. "What's wrong?"

Katie touches his hair. "Must you do this?"

Marcus bit his lip. "I have too."

Katie understood. She knew that if he did not lives would be lost. If he did not, they could be on the losing side. She knew that so much relied on him. If he failed, then all would fail.

But, he would not fail.

This war was designed to test people. It was made to show the Dark Side how denseless that other side was. The Dark Lord was toying with them. All he was doing was seeing how far the Order would let him bully them. They were not going to up with it.

They were going to fight. This time the Dark Lord was not going to last as long.

Let us try this Dark War again. This time things are going to be different.

**Now**

Katie crossed her arms as she stared up at the night sky. It was rather calm given what was going on somewhere over England.

"You should come in," Jasmine said.

Katie turned to her future mother-in-law. "I suppose you're right."

Jasmine gave Katie a small smile. "You know I'm right."

Katie followed the older witch back into the manor. She rather liked the manor. It wasn't as dark and dreary as most manors were. It had a rather modern look to it.

Brad and Haley were sitting in the main door. Brad had his feet resting on the coffee table, which he removed after getting a look from his wife. Haley made room for Katie on the small sofa.

"It's still calm out," Jasmine said as she sat down in a large, overstuffed chair.

Brad nodded. "They should've have been here by now."  
>Jasmine sighed. "I know and it's not like them to skip over a safe house."<p>

"Maybe something is wrong."  
>"Let's not think like that."<br>Haley looked over at Katie and got to her feet. Brad, Jasmine, and Katie watched as Haley left the room. Haley had been kind of down since hers and Blaise's relationship ended. Katie knew that it had been bad, but she knew that there was more to the story than what Haley was telling them.

Brad pulled out his mobile and looked at it. "Nothing new from Marcus either. It's been over two hours since I've even heard from him."  
>"Do you think he's okay?" Jasmine asked. She had a brief look of fear in her eyes. Katie knew that really the only thing Jasmine feared was something awful happening to her family.<p>

"I'll give him another hour," Brad muttered, putting his mobile away. "He could still be in the air."

Jasmine nodded.

Katie stared down at the floor. What if something really did go wrong tonight? Where would their future really be then? Innocence really was lost now. There was probably only going to be a few rare occasions in the coming days where they really could live without fear. They would have to enjoy those few precious times whenever they did manage to get them.

Brad stared up at the clock on the wall. Time seemed to be moving slower with each passing second. Katie wished that time would just hurry up.

The group sat in silence for the next thirty minutes. None of them took their eyes off the clock or let their ears drop. The Order members just had to make it. They just had too.

Jasmine got up and went over the window. She pulled back the curtain and peered out. "Something's coming," she said.

Brad got up and joined his wife. "I see it."

Katie went over and joined them. She could faintly make out two dark figures coming closer to the house.

Brad and Jasmine looked at each other before taking out their wands.

"You stay here with Haley," Jasmine told Katie as she and her husband left the room.

Katie sat down on a chair and stared straight ahead. She knew why Jasmine didn't want Katie outside. It was for protection. Had Marcus been here, Jasmine would have ordered him to stay inside as well.

Katie waited for a few moments. During that time, Haley came back downstairs.

"So, you're going to be my sister-in-law?" Haley asked slowly.

Katie nodded as she stared down at the ring on her finger. "Looks that way."  
>Haley nodded. "Good. At least I can stand to be around you."<p>

Katie wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Haley plopped down on the sofa. "Where's Mum and Dad?"

"Someone was coming and they went outside to see who it was."  
>"Oh," was all Haley said.<p>

A few minutes later, Brad and Jasmine came in. They were followed by Hermione and Kingsley Shacklebolt, who nodded at Haley and Katie.

"We were attacked," Kingsley said to Brad and Jasmine. "We hurt two for certain and maybe killed another."

"Did you see anything of Marcus?" Jasmine asked, her voice filled with worry.

Kingsley shook his head. "He wasn't in that bunch. Haven't heard anything from him?"  
>Brad shook his head.<p>

"I'm sure he's alright," Kingsley reassured them.

Hermione sunk down between Katie and Haley.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked Hermione.

Hermione gave Haley a smile. "Never better."  
>"That's good to hear."<br>Jasmine was now holding an old pan. "You guys made it just in time."

Kingsley took the pan from Jasmine. "We'll just be on our way."

Hermione stood up and went over Kingsley. She and Kingsley touched the pan and disappeared.

Jasmine and Brad stood for several more minutes and stared at the empty space where Hermione and Kingsley had just been.

"Well, that's over with without too much trouble," Jasmine said as she sat back down.

Brad pulled out his mobile. "Now, for a more difficult task." He began to punch a few things into the device. "Finding out where our son is."  
>"I keep telling you that you should put a tracker on him," Haley said. "You kept threatening to do it to him when he was younger."<br>Brad just shrugged. "I've always been kind of afraid to know what he does all time."  
>"True," Haley added.<p>

Katie looked at her own mobile. There was nothing from Marcus.

She sighed. She figured he was okay. After all, wasn't no news supposed to be good news?

Brad looked down at his mobile for the fifth time. "Still nothing."  
>Jasmine went over to sit next to her husband. "He'll get in toward."<br>Brad nodded, but his face was not convincing.

Katie could hear something outside. She stretched her ears and heard it again. "There's something out there."

Brad and Jasmine looked at her.

"Where?" Brad asked.

"It sounds like it's out in the yard."

Brad and Jasmine pulled their wands out and left the room. Katie followed.

The trio walked out into the courtyard. Someone dressed in dark clothes was walking toward them. Katie felt her guard go up.

Brad and Jasmine stared toward the figure.

"Stop or we will curse you!" Brad called.

The figure stopped. "Why?"  
>Katie recognized Marcus's voice.<p>

Jasmine walked over to Marcus and pointed her wand at his chest. "What story did I always read to you when you were little? I read it to you also every day."

Marcus looked down at the wand over his heart. "Are you serious?"

"Just answer me."

"Curious George," Marcus muttered. "You got me a stuff George for my fourth birthday."

Katie tried not to laugh. She really couldn't image Marcus as a child or reading a Muggle children's book for that matter.

Jasmine lowered her wand. "Are you okay?"  
>Brad and Katie went over to them.<p>

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."  
>Brad looked at Marcus and Katie. "I think it would be wise if you two spent the night here in case the Death Eaters are still out there."<p>

"I think they are all in, but Bellatrix seemed like she wanted to go back out."

Brad nodded. "Which is why I think you two should stay here."  
>They started back toward the house.<p>

Katie put her arm around Marcus's waist. "Curious George?"

"Shut up," Marcus muttered.

"I never took you as a Curious George fan."

"I was four."

"I know." Katie paused. "Do you still have this stuffed George?"

They had now reached the porch. Haley was standing on it.  
>"It's either in the attic or in his old room," Haley informed Katie.<p>

"Thanks a lot," Marcus said to his sister.

Haley smiled. "Anytime, big brother."

Later that night, Katie stared up at the ceiling in one of the many guest bedrooms the Flints had. She had borrowed a pair of shorts and a tank top from Haley. They really didn't fit, but did the job.

She rolled over onto her side. For some reason, she just couldn't sleep. She was tired, but sleep just would not come.

Maybe she feared the nightmares would come back. Maybe she was just afraid that she would not wake up the next day. There was just too many maybes.

Katie wished that she could tell someone was going on, but they would think was either crazy or dangerous. It was just probably in her best interest to keep her month shut about it.

Through the curtains, she could see the gentle hills on the east side of the manor. They just stood there, so calm and proud, unaffected by what was going on around them. Why couldn't the world just be like that? Why did everything have to cause so much damage, so much suffering? Why did they have to live in fear?  
>Katie closed her eyes. The world was just complicated and, as result, so many people lost their innocence.<p> 


	8. Chapter 7: Paranoid Circus

Chapter Seven: Paranoid Circus

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Natalia stared down the hall. If it hadn't been for Marcus, she probably wouldn't be here. She had to get this to him. It was something that she had to do. She wasn't even supposed to be in the shop at this hour and she wasn't if he would even show up. It had been weeks since he had come around. She looked at the clock.

Why was she here again?

Why, she was doing this she really didn't know the answer. It was just something you do when you cared about someone.

But he was in love with someone else. No matter what Natalia wasn't going to let him fall.

She flipped through the post that had just arrived. Some bills needed to be paid. They could wait.

She reached into the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans. She grinned as she enjoyed one that tasted like cotton candy. A few weeks ago, Marcus had gotten one that tasted like rotten eggs. She smiled as she remembered how he had sworn and ran out of the kitchen gagging.

She flipped to another letter. This letter wasn't sealed. In fact, it wasn't even rolled up. It was just a letter. She looked at the messy handwriting. Did she dare read it?

Oh, yes she dared. And read.

_ Friend,_

_ Beware. Your life is in danger._

That was nice. It's wasn't everyday someone threatened their lives.

Natalia looked around. Where the hell had this come from?

Marcus rolled onto his back. He was so tried, but he could not sleep. His brown eyes stared at the wall. This was his room; he should feel at ease here. He had stayed in this room for much of his teen years, but it didn't feel like it was.

He shut his eyes. The images of the past few days kept coming back to him. The battle...the break in at Hogwarts. He knew that he was going to have to talk at the Order meeting on Friday. He really did not want to do that.

Plus, training started up in a few weeks. He was not looking forward to that. He had not being keeping up on his workout schedule and knew the first days of training were going to be hell.

He pulled his blankets up further over his bare chest. Outside, thunder clouds were rolling in and he could hear a rumble of thunder every once in awhile.

Marcus opened his eyes again. Why did sleep have to be so difficult to come? Why couldn't he just enjoy a simple night's sleep?  
>It was because his mind was a circus, a paranoid circus for that matter. He blamed it on the war. There was nothing else to explain it all.<p>

Outside the storm was getting stronger. It was only until thunder cracked over him that he was able to finally drift off to sleep.

The next morning, Marcus woke up to voices outside his door. He looked at his watch on the nightstand. It was just a little after seven. He had always known that his parents were morning people, but did they had to do right outside his door?

He pulled his blankets over his head and tried to go back to sleep. He was almost asleep when his door opened.

"Marcus, wake up," Brad called to his son in Italian. "We need to talk to you."

Marcus sat up and watched as his dad approached his bed. "About what?" he asked back in Italian.

Brad handed Marcus a shirt off the floor. "About what you found at Hogwarts."

Marcus pulled his shirt over his head. "What about it?"  
>"You and the twins uncovered something important and we need to talk about it."<br>Marcus looked at his dad. "I don't know anything about what we found."

"I know, but I'll think you'll find it very interesting." Brad put his hand on Marcus's knee. "You can find all of this out if you get up."

Marcus kicked his blankets away. "Since you woke me up anyway."

Brad looked at Marcus. "Let's do this."

The pair walked down the hall to the library. Brad pushed open the grand door and motioned for Marcus to step in ahead of him. Once they were in, Brad let the door close softly behind him.

Remus, Kingsley, Tonks, and Jasmine were all sitting in chairs around Brad's desk. Marcus briefly wondered why the Weasley's weren't here, but, then, the thought quickly left him.

Kingsley laid out the papers on the test. "This is very interesting indeed. I have never seen magic like this."  
>Jasmine nodded. "I don't understand how anyone could manage to do this, let alone seven times."<br>Marcus sat down next to Tonks. "Doing what seven times?"

Brad settled himself behind his desk. "You have heard about Horcruxes, haven't you?" he asked Marcus.

Marcus nodded. He had heard about then, but really didn't know that much about them.

Brad handed the papers over to Marcus. "You and the twins provided the proof we need of this."

Marcus looked at the papers. "What do you mean?"

"You-Know-Who divided his soul and is next to impossible to kill," Kingsely said slowly. He got to his feet and looked at everyone in the room. "This doesn't leave the this room. The less people know about this, the better off everyone will be."

Marcus nodded slowly. He also wondered why Kingsley was calling Voldemort You-Know-Who instead of by his proper name.

Everyone else in the room nodded slowly.

"Where does this leave us now?" Marcus asked slowly.

"It leaves us with an even bigger problem than what we woke up with," Remus said.

Tonks sighed. "As if this war wasn't going any better for us."  
>Jasmine stated over at Marcus. Marcus caught her eye and she gave him a small smile.<p>

"I think we just need a few days to regroup and get everything figured out," Kingsley said slowly. "Since we don't have Mad Eye anymore, it sure puts us in a bad spot."  
>Marcus looked around at everyone. What did Kingsley mean by not having Mad Eye anymore? Did Mad Eye leave the Order? Was Marcus missing something?<p>

"Mad Eye was killed last night," Brad said slowly to Marcus.

Marcus nodded. He really hated being in the dark.  
>"George also had an ear hexed off," Remus added.<p>

"I also had a some problems on my end and got wet because of it," Tonks added, giving Marcus a look.

Marcus eyed her. "You were the one who went through the clouds."

"Yeah, because I couldn't have you following me, now could I?" Tonks fired back at him.

Marcus didn't respond. She did have a point.

Kingsley looked at Marcus. "Is Fairyland ready for battle?"  
>Marcus looked at his feet. He really wasn't sure about that one. The weapon was pretty moody sometimes. "Um..."<br>"Does it work?" Kingsley inquired.

"Not always," Marcus muttered.

"What do you mean?" Kingsley slowly asked.

"I mean sometimes it fires when you want it to and other times it doesn't do a thing."  
>Kingsley rolled his eyes.<p>

Marcus shrugged. "I'm not a mechanic."

"We're not mad at you," Remus said. "Your grandfather said you did the best you could on it. There has always been problems with it."

"Oh," was all Marcus said.

"Do you think it could do one thing for us?" Kingsley asked Marcus.

"That depends on what that thing is," Marcus stated.

"We want to use it on the Riddle House."  
>"What?" Marcus asked.<p>

"We want to use it on the Riddle House," Kingsley said again.

"Why?" Marcus asked.

"Because it means something to the Dark Lord."  
>"I thought he didn't like his father," Tonks pointed out.<p>

"But it will get his attention," Remus countered.

"True," Tonks said. "That is very true."

"Do you think it could do it, Marcus?" Brad asked.

"I really don't know," Marcus said slowly.

"Well, try to find out," Kingsley said.

Marcus nodded slowly. He was not sure what he had just gotten himself into.

Jasmine stood up. "Well, let's get on a brighter note. How about some breakfast?"  
>"That is a great idea," Tonks said. She got to her feet. "I can you!"<br>Jasmine gave Tonks a nervous look. "Um..."  
>Tonks looked around the room. "Oh, come on, I'm not that bad in the kitchen."<br>Everyone in the room stared at the floor.

"You guys suck," Tonks said.

Later that afternoon, Marcus found himself standing outside of Natalia's shop. Frowning, he stared at the closed sign on the front door. This was very usual. Natalia's shop was always open. He wiggled the door knob, but it was locked.

Frowning, Marcus walked around the side of the building and climbed the steps that lead to her small flat. He raised his fist and knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly and Natalia's face appeared in the crack. "Oh, it's just you," she said flatly.

"Don't sound so happy to see me," Marcus muttered.

Natalia pushed the door open and beckoned for him to come in. "I looked for you a few days ago, but you didn't show up."

Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "Why?"

"I suppose you already know about the whole Potter date move thing," she muttered as she padded into the kitchen.

Marcus followed her. "Yeah, that happened last night."  
>Natalia nodded. "I figured that much." She rinsed her hands off in the sink.<p>

"Why didn't you call for me?" Marcus asked slowly.

Natalia gave him a look. "Because I'm leaving the country and I can't possibly call you all the time. You need to come around a little bit more," she snapped as she pushed past him.

"Okay, then," Marcus muttered.

Natalia went into her bedroom.

Marcus followed her. He really wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He looked around at the half packed room. "Natalia what's going on?"  
>Natalia threw a couple shirts into a bag. "I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore."<p>

"Why?" Marcus asked slowly.

Natalia went over to her closet and threw a couple things on the floor. "It's not safe for me anymore here."

"It's not safe for any of us," Marcus countered.

Natalia sighed. "I don't know why I need to be explaining any of this to you. You will be fine on your own without me."

Marcus's eyes narrowed. What was going on with her?  
>Natalia threw a few more things on the ground.<p>

"Natalia," Marcus said slowly.

Natalia turned to him. "Marcus, just go! I don't have time to talk to you today!"  
>Marcus stepped back. "Okay, I'll come back tomorrow."<br>Natalia threw a high heel at him that barely missed his head. "I don't want you to come back!"  
>"Okay, then," Marcus said as he left the room and the apartment.<p>

Marcus walked slowly down the steps, thinking she would call him back, but she didn't. He wondered why chicks had to be so damn moody.

Once on the ground level, he turned back and looked at the shop. It looked dead and dark. It wasn't the normal kind of darkness and death, it was one brought on by being paranoid.

Pulling up his hood, Marcus walked slowly down Knockturn Alley wondering what this world had come too.

The rain began to fall adding to the darkness of not only the alley, but the world.


	9. Chapter 8: Acid

Chapter Eight: Acid

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

As he walked across the green lawn, Katie Bell grinned at her partner of many years. Every time she saw him, she never got over the feeling of possession. He was hers and she was his. It was the way that it was met to be.

He was humming a song that she didn't recognize. It didn't matter as long as he was hers. Humming made him cuter than he was. It made her want him even more.

Just a few more days and they would be together forever.

Just a little longer...

He strolled over to her and embraced her. She stood on her tiptoes so she could look him in his attractive, green eyes. He gazed back into her ocean-like eyes.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

"What about me?" he inquired.

"I'll kiss you." She teased his hair. "That way we'll both win."

His soft lips met her gentle ones. Magic erupted around them. It was their moment. She could see it now. All of the moments that they would spend together. All of the moments they would love each other and hate.

Mine, mine was the unspoken words on each of their lips.

When he was finally hers, she would believe in love. Her parents never showed love to each other. They divorced when she was a young girl and never spoke to each other since that awful day. Both were kind of careless, so she always had to be the careful one and not the rebel.

Katie looked up at Marcus. Even though, he appeared happy, she knew that there was something off.

Marcus broke the kiss and stared up at the sky.

Katie reached out and touched him. "Marcus, are you okay?"

"Um, yeah," Marcus said quickly.

Katie frowned. "You can tell me anything."  
>"I'm just tried."<br>"Okay," Katie said.

She really hated whenever he didn't tell her what was going on. She still hadn't told him about the dreams and how with every dream she could feel herself drifting away. The dreams were like acid and with each little drop, a little piece of herself melted away.

"So, have you made any plans for the wedding yet?" Marcus asked as he sat down on the edge of the deck.

Katie shook her head as she sat down. "We need to think about when we want to have it."

Marcus kicked his legs against the deck. "Do you have any ideas?"  
>Katie put her hand on Marcus's thigh. His kicking was really bothering her. "Do you want to do it sooner or later?"<p>

Marcus eyed her hand. "I don't know."  
>"That's not an answer."<p>

Marcus stared down at his boots. "When do you want to do it?"  
>Katie closed her eyes. What did she really want? She wanted to be with him all the time, but what about the wedding? She sighed. A brilliant idea had just popped into her head. "What about November?"<p>

"November," Marcus said slowly. "Do people even get married in November?"

Katie laughed at him. "Yes, people do get married in November!"  
>"Why November?"<p>

Katie gave him a look. She really hadn't expected him to know the answer to that question. HE was a guy. "What happens in November?"

"Your birthday," Marcus answered slowly.

Katie smiled. She supposed that she should feel special for him at least remembering that much. "What else?"  
>Marcus frowned. "Should I know something else?"<p>

"What month did we met in?" Katie asked.

Marcus shrugged. "You expect me to remember that?"  
>Katie shook her head. "Of course not."<p>

"Good-Hey, why did that sound like an insult?" Marcus objected.

Katie smiled at him. "You said it, not me."

"I feel like that was on purpose," Marcus muttered.

"Again, you said it not me!"  
>Marcus eyed Katie. "So, what did happen in November?" he whispered.<p>

Katie put her forehead against him. "This," she muttered as she leaned in and kissed him.

Marcus returned the kiss.

Katie felt herself lifting up. She was high and he was her drug. She felt herself drifting away into dreamland, where he was the prince and she was the princess. Her world was spinning; the colours of the other world were coming back. No, not here! She didn't want to do this right now!

_She was so prefect. He was so angelic. They belonged together in an eternal unity of light. No darkness surrounded them; blackness never entered their souls. Both souls were pure._

_ Tests have proven that they were meant to be together. The stars all line up for them. There was no death star in the sky. Therefore, nothing can rip them apart._

_ They unite against the forces of darkness. Light outshines darkness. It is through lightness that causes the forces to disappear. It is the power of the angels that cause the devils to run._

_ Never get jealous or mad at others. They are so good, so gentle. No matter how the ones close hurt them, they forgive and forget. This includes those who don't deserve it._

_ They stare into each other's eyes. They don't look at anyone else expect for each other._

_ "My kind, gentle Lady," he whispers, "may I have this dance?"_

_ The Light Princess smiles. "Good sir, there's no music."_

_ The Light Prince placed his forehead against hers. "You are the music. I can feel it in my soul."_

_ The Light Princess and Light Prince joined hand._

_ As they joined hands, the forces of good united._

_ As they joined hands, all the darkness was gone from their circle._

_ As they danced, the fire shone on the faces of the other lords and ladies. All the evil was gone from their souls. Goodness was all that existed._

_ Together, their hearts beat as one._

_ Together, everything was all right, even if they were no longer in charge of the circle. It was still theirs, it always would be._

_ Together, the possibilities were endless._

Katie pulled away from him. She was dizzy. "Can I stay with you?"  
>Marcus looked at her. "Um, sure." He was giving her a strange look.<p>

Katie smiled at him. "Great! That will give us some more time to figure all of this out!"  
>Marcus frowned. "Figure what out?"<br>Katie stuck her hand under his shirt and felt his hard stomach. "All of this."  
>She pulled him to his feet and pulled him into the house.<p>

"Haven't we been here before?" Marcus asked as Katie shoved him down on the couch.

Katie kissed him lips. "Maybe," she whispered.

Later that night as she lay beside him, she couldn't help but wonder what their together would be like. She really didn't spend that many nights with him, but tonight was different for some reason. Her parents didn't know about this and if they found out it may lead to them speaking to each other for the first time in years. That would be a good thing, she thought. They would probably agree that she shouldn't be staying with him.

Even if they weren't doing anything.

Expect her parents were the type of people who would base Marcus on his past and reputation.

He rolled over and opened his eyes. "What?"

She touched his hair. "Nothing."

"It's never nothing with you."

She grinned. "Do you know what my so called mum and dad would do if they knew where I was?"

"Don't they think you're at your friends' house?"

Katie nodded. "It might make them speak for the first time in years."

"I would be more afraid of Jenna," Marcus muttered.

"That is a good point," Katie answered.

"What about you marrying me?" Marcus asked.

Katie sighed. "I didn't give them a chance."

He rolled over so he could lie on his back. His gray shirt pulling at his muscles. "My parents are okay with this."

"Your parents are just happy that you're not out partying and actually going to university."

"I wasn't that bad."

"You were too."

"Wasn't."

"Were."

"Nope," he said as he climbed on top of her.

"Marcus, you used to fight all the time."

"Not all the time."

"Fine, once every twenty-four hours."

"What has happened in the past, stays in the past."

Katie smacked his arm. "You stole that from a Disney movie."

"What's Disney?"

"Never mind."

Marcus was silent for a few minutes. "So, what about how you used to cheat on Wood with me?"

"Shut up!" Katie yelled.

"I'm just saying. Besides you were sick and it didn't count."

"So, that night in the library was our first kiss?"

"Yes and no. It's the one I want people to know about."

"Sweet."

Katie watched as Marcus rolled back onto his side. She loved how innocent and young he looked lying there next to her. It remained her that people could really look young, even if they had been through so much.

"What?" Marcus asked.

Katie just shook her head. "Nothing."

Katie sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "We need to talk."  
>Marcus sat up and looked at her. "About what?"<p>

Katie looked back at him. "About the weapon."

Marcus eyed her. "What about it?" he asked slowly.

"Did you get it working? Have you tried to use it?" Katie asked.

Marcus groaned. "Now, you just sound like everyone else."  
>Katie eyed him. "Well, did you?"<p>

Marcus nodded. "It works, sometimes. No, we haven't tried to use in on something."

Katie nodded. She knew that Marcus had been hoping she would forget about Fairyland, but she wasn't going to let that happen. The weapon would probably be their only chance to win this war. A lot of people believed that Harry Potter would save them all, but she knew that Harry was going to need help.

Plus, with You-Know-Who gone her dreams would go away.

Marcus was frowning at her now. "What brought his up?"  
>Katie put her hand on his knee. "Because we need it to work."<p>

"I know that," Marcus muttered. "Everything that could be done has been done."

Katie frowned. "What is wrong with it?"  
>Marcus sighed. "It doesn't always fire when it's supposed to."<p>

"But it does fire?"

"Yeah, but it might be delayed, which is not a good thing when we are up against a group of Death Eaters."  
>Katie nodded. "So, like any other artillery it is going to need support?"<br>"Basically," Marcus answered.

"Is there any support?" Katie asked slowly, even though she already knew the answer.

Marcus sucked in air. "I don't think there is. Our numbers are low right now, with most of the people either in hiding or fleeing the country."

Katie nodded. She wanted this to work for herself. She didn't want to fade away. She wanted to be herself and she didn't care who judged her for it. She wanted to feel like herself again.

Marcus closed his brown eyes. "I don't know how more than a few people could be spared from other places."  
>"What about getting new people?" Katie inquired.<p>

"How?"  
>Katie patted Marcus's arm. "I'm sure you can figure something out."<p>

Marcus just snorted.

Katie stared at the wall. There had to be a way to overcome this. She was going to be released from the hellish dream. She did not want to close her eyes and see those she loved dying every night. No, she did not want to dream that and have to watch it in real life.


	10. Chapter 9: Business Suits and Combat B

Chapter Nine: Business Suits and Combat Boots

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus sat down with the rest of his team feeling rather uncomfortable in his dress clothes. Why they had to wear dress clothes to the first day of training was beyond him. It was probably because the press was normally there, but today there would be no press. They had been called to come to a meeting room rather than going to the pitch. He looked around at the confused expressions of his teammates. Something just wasn't right here. Usually on the first day of training, Holder ran them until they died, but not today.

Brent Holder and Daniel Young stepped into the room and shut the door behind them. They looked around at the team in front of them.

The Falcons' players came from a wide range of backgrounds. Damon Monroe, nineteen, was a small, but powerful Beater from Ireland. Kevin Blair, twenty-three, was a medium built Beater from eastern Finland. Jamie Taubenfeld, twenty-two, was a medium built left Chaser from western Canada; he was also dating the Seeker. Carter Collins, twenty-six, was a small right Chaser from South Africa. Sebastian Reynolds, twenty-three, a transfer from a Dutch Quidditch team, played Keeper; this was his first season with the Falcons. Raine Daniels, twenty-one, was the only female on the team and was Seeker from eastern Russia. She and Marcus had been signed together.

"Why do you look like you're a dying?" Jamie asked.

"We have come to a very difficult decision," Holder said after taking a deep breath.

Everyone looked at each other.

Daniel Young stared down at the floor.

"We have decided that with the given events that it is too risky to be a part of any league this season. You will still be paid regular pay, but we will not be playing until the current situation changes," Holder said slowly. He looked at his team; his eyes were sad. "I am very sorry to do this to you and I understand if any of you wish to transfer to another team." He paused. "I just can't risk any of you."  
>Silence filled the room.<p>

Marcus stared down at his hands. He kind of expected that something would happen like this. He just did not expect the season to start this way.

Young looked around at the team. "The Cups have all been chanced anyway. This will just give us more time to kick them all," he said with a smile.

A couple of the team members let out a small laugh.

Holder looked around at his team. "You can all go home now. I want you all to be safe and I will hopefully see you next season."

The team gave each other one final look before going their own ways.

Marcus ducked his head as he walked away from the building. There was somewhere he had to go, but he wasn't to go there in a something that looked like a business suit. No, he needed something like combat boots.

He Apparated home and changed into jeans and long sleeve button down shirt. As soon as he had laced up his boots, he was out the door.

He landed outside of Natalia's shop. The sign on the door was still on "closed." Frowning, Marcus knocked on the door and peered inside. There was no one in sight.

He climbed up to her apartment and banged on the door. "Natalia!" he called. "It's me."  
>Marcus stepped back and waited. Maybe she had already left the country. He was about ready to turn and leave, when he heard the door creep open.<p>

"I thought I told you not to come back here," Natalia said in a hushed voice.

Marcus turned to look at her. "I'm not very good at listening to directions."  
>"I noticed, but for your own safety, please, don't come back here."<p>

He turned to look at her, but she was already gone. What was going on with her?

His mind was racing, the Ministry falling, Potter disappearing to who knows where, Natalia, and the Horcruxes; these things just didn't keep happening.

Marcus strolled down Diagon Alley. Normally, the place was crawling with witches and wizards, but today was another story. He normally couldn't get down the street without someone stopping him, asking him how the Falcons were doing this season, asking him for tickets, and so on. Lately, not so much.

Everyone was living in a state of fear.

He did not blame people for not lingering. He certainly did not want to be caught here after dark. These were dark and dangerous times.

He looked at all of the empty shops and wanted posters. Some of the people on those posters were old classmates and friends. He hated it all.

Marcus took one final look and headed toward the Leaky Caldron. He did not even know why he bothered coming here.

People turned their backs on friends. Families were divided. No one dared made friends with people they did not know. Marcus took a deep breath. He had a feeling that the world was only going to get colder.

Marcus exited the bar. Usually he stopped to get something to drink, but not today. He was not in the mood. He Apparated home.

Katie Bell, his long time girlfriend, was waiting on him. "Anything?"

Marcus sat down next to her. "It's a ghost town. '

"Did you expect anything different?"

"No, not really."

He looked into the flameless fireplace. "It's so strange out there. So cold."

Katie looked at him. "It could also be because it is really cold outside for August."

Marcus laughed. "Yeah, it is."  
>"Have you thought anymore about the November wedding date?" Katie asked as she stared up at the ceiling.<p>

Marcus closed his eyes. What did he really have to lose with getting married in November? It wasn't like he had a job to worry about anymore. "That sounds good."  
>Katie put her arms around him. "What about Quidditch?"<p>

"That's not going to be a problem anymore," Marcus muttered. This would the first Quidditch season he had sat out of in eighteen years. It was a rather strange feeling now that he thought about it.

Katie frowned. "Why not?"

"Because we're not entering any leagues this year." Marcus paused. "Holder and Young think it's too risky to too. I think they are going to flee the country."  
>Katie nodded. She didn't want to leave the country.<p>

"Mum and Dad aren't sending Haley back to Hogwarts. My brother, Ryan, got transferred to Canada and she's going to go to school over there," Marcus continued.

Katie nodded. She knew the story. . Like most Slytherins, he was form a wealthy pureblood family. He was the result of his mum and dad's second marriages. His dad had been married to some crazy Polish woman for five years and they had a daughter, Alice. Alice was thirteen years older than he was and he had only met her twice. His mother had been married to his dad's brother for eleven years. Then, the Death Eaters murdered him. (His uncle, mum, and dad were Aurors.) His mum and uncle had six sons: Brain, Luke and Logan (twins), Shawn and Nathanial (twins) and Ryan. They were anywhere from eleven to three years older than Marcus. Well, Marcus's mum and dad overtime fell in love and got married two years later. A year later that Marcus was born. Then, four and a half years later Marcus's sister, Haley, was born. Most of the time none of them was around. His parents both worked seven days a week and were only off for holidays. His half-brothers moved out right after Hogwarts and only came home maybe twice a year. He and Haley were close. The family also moved around a lot. Marcus had lived in four different countries and two different continents.

"Yeah, Dad and Jenna don't know what to do with Sierra and Zoey. They don't want to send them to Hogwarts like they've been ordered to."  
>Marcus shook his head. "It's just getting bad."<br>Katie nodded. "Yeah, it is," she echoed.

They sat there in silence for the next several minutes.

"Which is way we are going to test Fairyland on the Riddle House," Marcus muttered.

Katie eyed him. "What?"

Marcus nodded. He wasn't even sure why he had told her that. "Yeah, we're going to give the Dark Side a little wake up call."

"Is it wise?" Katie inquired.

Marcus shrugged. "Who knows."

"That's what I thought."

Marcus smirked over at her. It clearly hadn't hit her yet what he had planned. "That's why you will be going with us."  
>Katie gave him a look. "What do you mean?"<p>

Marcus got to his feet. "You are the one who said you wanted to be involved in the war and this is your chance."  
>"That's not what I had in mind! You just got done saying that thing has a mind of its own!" Katie objected, even though she was getting to her feet.<p>

Marcus knew that she felt honoured to be asked to tag along. "That is our chance to change history," Marcus said as he took her hand.

Katie looked up at him. "Or our chance to get killed."

Marcus didn't respond. He hoped that didn't happen.

An hour later, they found themselves standing in front of Fairyland. The weapon looked like a Muggle weapon right out of World War 2, which it was. It was modelled after the BL 4.5 inch Medium Gun and the British Ordnance BL 60-pounder. Instead of shooting out bullets, it acted like an extended wand and shot spells.

Damon Knightly was already there, sitting under the weapon waiting for him. "It's about time," he said as he got to his feet.

"We got a little held up," Marcus muttered.

"I can see that."  
>"The others are supposed to meet there," Marcus said as he walked around Fairyland.<p>

Damon nodded. "Do they know about us?"

Marcus shrugged. "They will soon."

Damon ran his hands over Fairyland's side. "Let's just hope everything goes to plan. With any luck, we will be home in time for breakfast."

"Let's hope so," Marcus muttered as he studied the weapon. "So, any ideas of how me move this stupid thing?"  
>"Shouldn't you guys had this planned out already?" Katie asked speaking for the first time.<p>

"They probably didn't think about that part," a voice said from behind them.

"Maybe," Marcus said to his grandfather.

The Randolph family was an old wizard family. They had a lot of power and wealth. Marcus's grandfather, Jonathan Randolph, had been Minister of Magic during the last Dark War and was a fierce destroyer of anything that had to do with the Dark Arts. He had retired a few years ago.

Jonathan Randolph just shook his head. He looked at Katie. "I hope you are able to keep them in line, my dear."

"I'll try," Katie answered with a smile.

Marcus tried not roll his eyes. They didn't have time for gang up Marcus; they had to get the weapon to the Riddle House right now.

Damon came around from the other side of the weapon. "So, how do we move it?"  
>Jonathan smiled at them. "That is an old man's secret."<p>

"Are you going to help us?" Marcus asked.

"That depends on rather or not you can keep a secret," Jonathan answered. He leaned in close to them. "Just promise me that you won't this."

Damon, Katie, and Marcus nodded.

"Just remember that the border is breached but not broken. There is still time for use to save ourselves."


	11. Chapter 10:Rule the World

Chapter Ten: Rule The World

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie stood on top of the hill that overlooked the Riddle House. She wasn't sure how they had gotten here with Fairyland and wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Judging by the confessed expressions on Marcus's and Damon's faces, she supposed that she wasn't the only one.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Remus Lupin, Brad, Jasmine, Arthur Weasley, Fleur Delacour, and Bill Weasley were all there. They did not look one bit surprised to see either Damon or Katie there.

"I trust everything is in working order," Kingsley said to Marcus.

Marcus looked nervously at Fairyland. "We'll see about that."  
>"So, we should all stand back whenever this thing goes off?" Tonks asked.<p>

Damon nodded. "It would probably be in your best interest."

Fleur was eyeing the weapon. "Won't the Muggles notice it going off?"

"We're not sure about that," Marcus answered. "Whenever it does go off, it looks more like a comet than anything. Hopefully that's what they will think."

"What about when it hits the house?" Fleur asked again. Katie noticed that Fleur had taken a couple of steps back from Fairyland.

"Um, we are still working on that part," Marcus muttered.

Everyone looked nervously at the weapon. Who knew exactly what was going to happen? This could very well be the last thing they ever did. If it worked, they could very well end up ruling the world.

Brad came back from his post on the edge of the hill. He was closing up a telescope. "Everything looks calm. I don't even see a guard or anything like that."  
>"Any Muggles?" Remus asked.<p>

Brad shook his head. "I think pretty much everyone is in bed now."  
>Kingsley nodded. "That will make this easier to do."<br>"What's the cover up going to be?" Bill asked.

"Gas explosion," Jasmine said as she came back with the measurements in her hand. She handed them to Katie. "You can be in charge of these. Have Marcus and Damon line this up exactly and they should hit the centre of the house."

Katie nodded. "Got it."  
>Jasmine looked at Marcus and Damon. "How many people do you need up here with you?"<br>"At least two others," Marcus answered.

Tonks and Bill looked at each other. "We'll stay," Tonks said.

"Katie has the rest of the stuff you'll need," Jasmine said. "Just be careful."

Brad gave them all a look before he went over to the join the others.

Katie's heart was in her throat. She could feel herself trembling like a little child. Even though she trusted Marcus, she still had her doubts, even he was doubting himself. That had to go for something.

Bill and Tonks were standing next Marcus and Damon, eyeing the weapon.

Tonks eyed Marcus as he pushed something on Fairyland. "If I die, I am so coming back to haunt you." She paused. "Or better yet I will make your life in the afterlife a living hell."

"I'm sure you will," Marcus muttered.

Katie handed Marcus the calculations. "You're supposed to use these to line yourself up."  
>Marcus eyed the paper. "Says who?"<br>"Me."

"And?"

Katie gave him a look. "Your mother."  
>Sighing, Marcus looked back at the weapon. "I guess." He gave the paper back to Katie. "Tell us when."<p>

Katie nodded.

Together, Marcus, Bill, Damon, and Tonks began to move Fairyland. Katie kept looking back at the paper and at them. She just really wanted this to work.

"Now?" Bill asked.

Katie eyed Fairyland and the Riddle House. "Marcus and Damon, you two need to come back this way a little bit. You are just a metre or so up too far."

Marcus and Damon eyed her, but didn't say a word as they moved into place.

"Are we good now?" Tonks asked.

Katie gave the paper, weapon, and the Riddle House one final look before shoving the paper into her pocket. "Let her go."  
>Marcus and Damon pushed a few final buttons before stepping back. Katie took another step back, she thought that it didn't hurt to be careful.<p>

"Any second now," Damon was muttering under his breath.

"I hope you're right," Tonks muttered back.

Katie slid her hand into Marcus's and looked up at him. He was staring at Fairyland, a frown line was forming on his forehead. Katie could almost feel his nervousness.

A loud boom filled the night sky. Slowly they turned around to see a bolt of fire flying through the air. The fireball exploded about a kilometre away. Katie watched as flames of orange and smoke filled the sky.

"Success," Damon muttered to himself.

Katie felt Marcus squeeze her hand. She smiled up at him and leaned into his shoulder.

"Well, I guess I don't have to haunt you after all," Tonks said to Marcus as Remus, Fleur, Kingsley, Brad, Arthur, and Jasmine came back.

"Yeah," Marcus muttered.

Arthur stared at the house. "Something's wrong."  
>"What do you mean?" Kinsley asked.<p>

Arthur pointed at the house. A black mass was raising from it and racing up the hill toward them.

"What the hell?" Marcus muttered as the mass got closer to them.

"GET DOWN!" Brad yelled as he pushed Fleur to the ground.

Katie fell onto the ground beside Marcus. Above her, she could faintly hear the crocks of the ravens as they flew over them; their claws raked along Katie's back causing pain. She felt Marcus put his arm around her. She didn't want him to do that and get all cut up. Katie tried to move around so she could see him, but his grip was too tight on her.

A few minutes later, the raven were gone.

Everyone climbed to their feet. They were all bleeding from various places.

"What was that all about?" Arthur demanded to know.

"I don't know," Kingsley said slowly. "But I do think we have made ourselves known."

Katie chanced a look down at what used to be the Riddle House. In its place there was a mass engulfed by flames. A part of the house had already caved in. A few Muggles had come out to see what was going on and in the distance she could hear sirens racing toward the site.

Brad had his telescope back out. "It looks like we hit a little shack at the edge of the property as well."  
>Jasmine eyed her husband. "That's not possible."<p>

Brad handed the telescope to his wife. "Take a look."

Jasmine did so.

Katie looked at the object in question. Sure enough, at the edge of the property, there was little a little structure on fire.

"It's too late for save it now," Jasmine said as she gave Brad back his telescope.

"That's what I thought," Brad said as he closed up the telescope.

The sirens were closer now.

"I think we had better get out of here," Remus said.

"Probably," Bill answered as he took Fleur's hand.

"What about Fairyland?" Fleur asked.

Kingsley looked at Marcus. "How did you get it here?"

"I have no idea. My grandfather did it," Marcus said honestly.

Katie closed her eyes. This was going to be the end of either them or the weapon. " A lorg an fhírinne, ní mór duit a oscailt do shúile. Chun freagraí a lorg, ní mór duit muinín do neamhchiontachta. A oscailt an cófra dorcha wonders, é a fheiceáil trí croí glan go raibh cónaí ar uair amháin mar sin ó shin fada," she muttered. _To seek the truth, you must open your eyes. To seek answers, you must trust your innocence. To open the dark chest of wonders, see it through a pure heart that lived once so long ago._

Marcus looked at Katie. "What did you just say?"

Katie opened her eyes. She really had no idea where that had came from. "The riddle that you used to open the chest. That's how he did it."

Marcus frowned and looked at Fairyland. "Are you sure?"  
>Katie shook her head. "No, but it's the best thing we have."<br>Marcus looked at Katie, then back at Fairyland. "What we have to lose?"

"Everything," Katie answered.

"Then, I guess we have everything to gain."  
>Katie nodded. She supposed if you put it like that, then it might work.<p>

Brad eyed Marcus and Katie. "Does that mean you're ready?"  
>"I think so," Marcus answered as he touched Fairyland.<p>

Katie went over to him and closed her eyes. This had better work.

She felt a pull at her stomach and when she opened her eyes they were behind Randolph Castle. Katie looked up at the amazing Gothic structure. Even though she had grown up in the wizarding world, she could never get over the fact that some families actually owned castles.

"Well, that went well," Damon commented.

Tonks gave him a look. "Are you counting the raven attack as going well?"  
>Damon shrugged. "We can leave that part out."<p>

Tonks nodded. "That's what I thought."  
>The older Order members stood together up the hill. Katie wondered what they were talking about.<p>

Marcus came up beside her. He had his wand out. "You're hurt," he muttered.

Katie had forgotten about her back. "It's okay."  
>Marcus eyed her. "I can fix it." He paused. "It's either me or Tonks."<p>

Katie wasn't sure how Tonks was at Healing things; she figured that Marcus was probably her best option out of any of them. "Okay."  
>Marcus walked behind her. She felt his wand on her back. "Tergeo," he muttered.<p>

Katie felt the blood disappearing from her back and the pain was slowly going away. She turned back to Marcus and kissed his check. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Marcus replied.

Katie looked up at Fairyland. "That thing has caused us a lot of trouble."  
>Marcus nodded. "And you know it's only the start of it."<p>

Katie gave him a small, broken smile. "We just have to stay positive."  
>Marcus snorted. "That's easier said than done."<br>Katie sighed. "Yeah, I know."

The next morning, Katie found herself alone at her house. Her family had gone out to do different things. Normally, Katie was happy about having the house to herself, but today it felt different.

She went to the front door and looked it, not that it would do any good. She pranced nervously around the house. She really did not understand why she could not calm down.

Katie went into the living room and flipped through some wedding books. There was so much to do before the big day; heck, she hadn't picked her bridesmaids yet.

_Bang!  
><em>Katie jumped out of her seat and pulled her wand out. She could hear movement in the kitchen.

Slowly, Katie made her way in that direction. She knew that she shouldn't be going toward the noise, but it had her attention.

Katie peered into the kitchen. An Asian looking young woman was staring back at her.

The girl looked Katie up and down. "Are you Marcus's girlfriend?"  
>Katie nodded slowly. Who was this chick and how did she know Marcus?<br>The girl crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we need to talk." She sat down at a kitchen table chair.

Katie didn't move nor did she lower her wand. She wasn't about to get any closer to this stranger. "Who are you?" Katie asked.

The girl blinked. "Oh, I'm Natalia."

Katie frowned. She had never heard of a Natalia. "How do you know Marcus?"

Natalia rolled her eyes. "It's a long story, sweetheart."


	12. Chapter 11: The Last Hour of Ancient Sun

Chapter Eleven: The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Dream_

Marcus stared out at the dark, rainy day and ran his hand through his dark hair. Why out of the days it could have rained, did it have to be today? He needed to and look at Fairyland's barrel, which he was not looking forward to doing it in the rain. He didn't even have Damon to drag out in the rain with him. Why did Damon have to work today?

He took another drink of tea. Katie was getting on him about the wedding. They were supposed to get together tonight and go over some plans. He was not looking forward to that at all.

Marcus glanced at his watch. Standing here and thinking about what needed to be done was not actually getting anything accomplished. Sighing, he sat his cup in the sink and headed out.

He landed a few hundred metres away from Fairyland. It was raining harder at Randolph Castle than it had been at his house. Cursing, he made his way toward Fairyland.

Marcus peered slowly into the barrel. He didn't trust this thing; it could take his head off at any given second. The barrel looked just as shiny as ever. Frowning, Marcus took at the chest out of his pocket. The chest held all of Fairyland's information. Earlier this morning, he had read about how Fairyland burned its own barrel and had to be fixed by runes.

Maybe he was remembering incorrectly...

Sighing, Marcus turned and headed up toward Randolph Castle. He couldn't open the chest outside; it would be ruined. He slowly pushed open the back door and stepped into the back hallway. Marcus listened and didn't hear anyone. He figured that his grandfather was in the study. Marcus made his way up the back staircase.

Marcus paused outside Jonathan's study. He wasn't sure if he should knock or just push his way in. Then again, his grandfather kind of scared him. He raised his fist and knocked three times.

"Come in," Jonathan called out.

Marcus pushed open the door and stepped in.

"Marcus," Jonathan greeted as he looked up from his writing desk. "Close the door, would you?"  
>Marcus turned back and closed the door.<p>

Jonathan put his quill down and looked his grandson up and down. "You're soaked." He pointed his wand at Marcus. A few seconds later, Marcus felt as if he had been sitting in front of a fire.

"Thanks," Marcus muttered.

"I take it this isn't a pleasure trip."

Marcus shook his head and handed Jonathan the chest. "There's nothing wrong with the barrel."  
>Jonathan frowned. "And you looked everywhere?"<br>Marcus nodded.

"Maybe there wasn't enough firepower to do any damage."

"Maybe not."

Marcus sighed. This weapon really knew how to get under his skin.

Jonathon lowered his reading glasses and peered over top of them at Marcus. "Or maybe the weapon likes you."

Marcus frowned. "Likes me?"

"Things can have feelings too," Jonathon said as he went back to his letter. "Just remember that."

Marcus really thought that his grandfather was losing it. There was no way Fairyland had feelings for him. "Okay."

Jonathon nodded. "So, what else do you have planned today?"

Marcus sighed. The Death Eaters were meeting tonight and Katie wanted to get together to go over wedding plans. All of which just sounded about a much fun as the time when he was seventeen and had his appendix taken out.

Jonathon smiled at Marcus. "That much fun, huh?"  
>"Yeah," Marcus muttered.<p>

"Well, don't let me hold you up from all your fun times," Jonathon said.

"Yeah, I guess I had better get going," Marcus said. He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Marcus," Jonathon called.

Marcus looked back at Jonathon.

"Do be careful."  
>"Always am."<p>

Marcus went home and changed into solid black. He threw on his Death Eater robes and gripped the mask in his right hand. He rolled up his sleeve and looked at the unmarked flesh on his arm. He really hoped that he would not be forced to take the Dark Mark. He couldn't stand the thought of staring at that thing on his arm.

He closed his eyes and Apparated to Malfoy Manor.

Several of the Death Eaters were already there, but the meeting had not started. Marcus took a seat between Adrian and Draco.

"I heard your team pulled out of the league," Adrian said to Marcus. He closed the newspaper he was reading. "Are you going to transfer to another team?"  
>Marcus just shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it."<p>

"Did they say why?" Adrian asked.

"Something about wanting to take a year off. I'm not really sure." Marcus really did not want to talk about this right now.

Lord Voldemort entered the room. His narrow eyes looked over everyone. "Does anyone want to explain to me how this just happened?"  
>No one answered or asked what he was talking about. They all knew it was about the Riddle House.<p>

Lord Voldemort walked along the back of his Death Eaters. "I just don't understand how none of you could have known about this. The weapon works and they are using it."

Marcus stared blankly ahead as the Dark Lord walked past him.

Lord Voldemort paused behind a Death Eaters whose name Marcus did not know. "Would you like to explain it to me?"

The Death Eater gulped. "No, my Lord."

Marcus forced himself to keep his eyes down and open. He knew what was coming next.

Voldemort let a soft chuckle escape his lips. "No, you wouldn't want the honour of explaining this to me?"  
>"No, my Lord," the Death Eater said, his voice was shaking.<p>

"It should be a privilege to explain such things to your Lord," Voldemort said. He was now really close to the Death Eater.

Marcus kind of wished that Voldemort would hurry up and get this over with. Everyone at the table knew what was going to happen.

The Death Eater didn't answer.

_"Now we can do this the hard way or the easy way," one of the hooded hissed. "It's your choice. Only one of you here is going to die, however if you give us any trouble both of you will die." _

_ The one who had just spoken pulled out his wand. He took a step toward Marcus. "Now, how many more of your friends must die for you?" _

_ Marcus looked wide eyed at him. He didn't say anything. _

_ "Now are you going to open you robes and shirt up or am I?" _

_ Marcus looked at Kingsley. Kingsley could tell that he was scared. He was afraid for his life. He knew that Marcus wanted to live. Kingsley sighed. "Marcus, do it," he whispered. _

_ "You'd better listen to your friend or we'll kill your pretty wife," the hooded man said. _

_ Marcus gave Kingsley a frightened look and did as he was told. He was shaking so bad that he could barely get the buttons on his shirt unbuttoned. When he was done, the hooded figure walked over to him and placed his wand on Marcus's bare chest. _

_ "This is what you get for betraying us," the man whispered in Marcus's ear. "Goodbye." _

_ There was a flash of green light and the light in Marcus's eyes left. The men, who were holding him, let him go. _

_ Kingsley could do nothing for him. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. It seemed like hours pasted as Marcus sunk to the floor instead of seconds. _

_ Marcus Flint was dead before he hit the floor. _

Marcus blinked as he looked around the room at Malfoy Manor. Why had he just seen what he just did? Was his future really that dark? The last hour of ancient sunlight was on him if that was the case. He chanced a glance at the dead Death Eater. He now recognized the Death Eater as one who had been in the woods near his house.

Marcus swallowed hard. What was going on with him?  
>Adrian was giving Marcus strange looks, which Marcus pretended not to notice.<p>

Lord Voldemort was back at the head of the table. His eyes were scanning over everyone. "Let that be a warning to any of you who dare to let something like this happen again." He paused. "There is something very valuable near there. You are all lucky that I am a merciful lord."

Marcus stared at the table. _  
><em> Lord Voldemort gave his followers one final look over. "I suggest you all take something for what just happened."

The Death Eaters all looked at each other. Each one of them had look of fear on their faces. Everyone at the table knew that what the Dark Lord was doing went against nature. It was as if he was trying to conquer it rather than rule beside Mother Earth.

Marcus knew that this meant the Dark Lord had changed. There was just something different about him.

Later that night Marcus stepped onto the Burrow's property. He wasn't sure who would be here or if anyone would be for that matter. He stood outside the door unsure if he should knock or just step.

He had just raised his fist whenever the door opened.

Mrs. Weasley's face appeared in the crack of the doorway. "Marcus." She stepped back. "Come on in."  
>Marcus stepped in. "He knows."<p>

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Did he say anything about it?"

"He just kept blaming everyone, but didn't say why it was important." Marcus paused. "He's changing."  
>Mrs. Weasley motioned for Marcus to have a seat at the table. "What do you mean by changing?"<br>"He's getting, I don't know, more cautious about who he lets know what's going on."  
>Mrs. Weasley put her hand on Marcus's shoulder. "Do you think he suspects you?"<br>Marcus closed his eyes. He really didn't know what to think about that one.

"Just be careful," Mrs. Weasley warned. "I would hate to see anything happen to you."  
>Marcus nodded. He knew about all the risks. "So, what happens next?"<br>"We wait and see what happens."

Peter Long looked up at the sky. The Dark Mark still stood out. The last hour of sunlight was upon them. He looked back at his wife and two month old daughter. He had a feeling that he wouldn't get to see Emily grow up. He had a feeling that he would not survive the war.

He didn't know how he could be so clam when he knew what was going to happen. Maybe his death would save someone else.

He looked behind him. The shadows were getting closer. He turned back to his family to yell at them to run. The words never left his mouth. The green light hit him before he could say it.

His wife shortly followed him.

Emily began to cry. She wondered why her parents were not coming to see what she was crying about. Mummy and Daddy were always there for her.

The shadows left her alone. Emily watched as they went away. They didn't want to waste their time on a baby. They were on a very tight schedule.

One family down….

Thousands more to go…

Half bloods were just as bad as being Muggle born.

The little baby stared up at the stars wondering what was wrong with her mummy and daddy. She blinked as another tear fell onto the ground.

**Let the killings begin! Yes, there is going to be character death in this story. As to who Peter Long, think back to Shallow Bay. He was one of Marcus's friends who helped in the early stages of Fairyland. **


	13. Chapter 12: Being Everyone

Chapter Twelve: Being Everyone

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie stared at Natalia. "Are you going to share it?"  
>Natalia just waved her arm. "Another time, sweetheart."<p>

Katie frowned. Then, what did Natalia want with her.

Natalia came closer to Katie, who took a step back. "You need to keep him safe. He acts either too quickly or too slowly. He needs to stay under their radar." Natalia paused. "He just needs to be really careful."

Katie crossed her arms over her chest. How did Natalia know all about Marcus? They were going to have to have a chat about this.

Natalia leaned in close to Katie. "Just look at him and tell me what you see. I see someone who is strong and capable of pulling this off, but times are going to get dangerous. If he is caught, you know what will happen."  
>Katie gulped. She knew; she had seen the dreams. "But what I do?"<p>

Natalia shrugged. "Make sure he doesn't do something stupid. It's too late for him to back out now. He's in too deep."  
>Katie nodded. "I know."<p>

Natalia sighed. "Just promise me that you will keep him safe."  
>Katie nodded. "I will."<br>Natalia turned and walked out of the room without another word.

Katie frowned. She still hadn't figured out who Natalia was or what her connection to Marcus was. However, she had confirmed that Katie wasn't crazy. Being worried about someone you loved and dreaming about them wasn't crazy.

Katie went back into the living room and her wedding books. She began flipping through the books. She wasn't even sure why she was trying to plan a wedding in the middle of all this chaos. There was so much to do and so little time.

She pushed the books away. Maybe they should just wait until this was all over. Maybe that would be what was best for everyone. She sighed. She knew the real reason they were doing this now: no one knew who would live to see the end of this war.

Katie pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. She could at least work on her guest life and maybe think about the wedding party. She really needed to get on Marcus about that stuff. Knowing him, he would wait until the last possible second to do it.

Katie stopped. She realized that she was missing something important. She still didn't have a dress.

She got to her feet and paced the length of the room. She hadn't even thought about where she wanted to get or what kind for that matter. Did she was a big ball grown or something a little more up to date?  
>Katie pulled out her mobile. This required expert help. She punched in a few things and, then, closed her mobile.<p>

She sat down on the sofa. Even though she was trying to plan a wedding, she just could not get Natalia out of her mind. Sure, she trusted Marcus and didn't believe that something was going on between the two of them, but it kind of raise a red flag. Why would Marcus be around a pretty girl? Why hadn't he told Katie about Natalia?

Katie understood privately. Marcus didn't know everything that went on her life and she didn't expect or want to know every detail of Marcus's life, but for some reason this made her wonder.

She got to her feet and went over the window. Nobody had answered her yet.

Katie shook her head. She really needed to stop thinking about what Marcus and Natalia. She just had to believe that nothing was going on between them. Trust was very important in a relationship.

The beautiful, wonderful times were ahead of them. Lovely days united together was in their near future. Just a few more months until they would be united for all eternity.

She twirled around the room. She was excited, but not as excited as she thought she would be. Yes, these were the happy days, but he had been her lover for many years. Often she had thought they were married. People who didn't know them had the same thoughts.

She was going to be a beautiful bride. She wasn't trying to be vein or anything, but all brides were as beautiful as the prettiest sunset in the world. Every bride as a princess. Every bride shone on that very special day. She had seen this happen to many family and friends.

And now it was her turn.

Her was her turn to experience this joy.

Shortly two would become one. Shortly their lives would become stronger as they became untied as one. Together the world was endless.

The beautiful bride lay down on her future husband's bed. It smelled just like him. She didn't know where he was or what he was doing. None of this mattered. They only thing that mattered was the fact that he would be coming back to her.

Her world was a happy place. The world of a bride was like a child's play world. There was no pain, no suffering, everyone was at peace. Everything, everyone was united. Nothing else mattered as long as you stayed in this world.

It didn't matter how bad things were. It didn't matter how good things were. As long as they had each other, everything would somehow work out.

Injury, sickness it couldn't divide the beautiful bride from her lover. They always stayed by each other. Always held the other through every battle, every heartbreak, and every struggle. They were there for the screams of pain, through the screams of joy, the screams of lost, and the screams of victory.

They had been rebels in the dating field. They were the first Slytherin and Gryffindor couple. They were still considered the rebels of dating.

Katie jumped out of her daydream as a knock came from the front door. Frowning, she walked slowly to the front of the house. She gripped her wand; she didn't want to have a repeat of what just happened with Natalia.

She slowly opened the door. "Jasmine," she said. She could not hide her surprise. Why was Jasmine at her house?

Jasmine gave Katie a warm smile. "May I come in?"  
>Katie nodded and stepped aside. "Of course."<br>Jasmine nodded and stepped in. She looked around the house; her brown eyes were not judging.

Katie closed the door and looked at her future mother-in-law. She really did not know what Jasmine was doing here.

Jasmine looked at Katie. "I came here to talk you about my son."  
>"What about him?" Katie asked. She nodded to the living room. "We can go in there."<br>Jasmine motioned for Katie step in first. Katie walked in and settled into a large chair. Jasmine sat down lady-like on the sofa.

"What about Marcus?" Katie asked. She wondered why everyone was so interested in Marcus.

"You are tied to him," Jasmine said slowly.

Katie frowned. What did Jasmine mean?

"It's difficult to understand, but you two are tied together in more ways than you think."  
>"What you do mean?" Katie whispered.<p>

"You're having visions about him?" Jasmine asked.

"They are just dreams," Katie said.

Jasmine shook her head. "No, they're not." She paused. "You are seeing what could happen to him."  
>Katie didn't answer.<p>

"I can see it just in the way you look at him," Jasmine went on. "You know that something is going to happen him."

Katie got up and walked the length of the room. "I see him being tortured," she whispered. "I see death and the end of it all." She gulped. "I feel that I'm losing myself."  
>Katie looked back at Jasmine. A brief flinch crossed her face. "How long has this been going on?"<br>"A couple of years," Katie admitted. "It's gotten worse since the curse."

Jasmine nodded. "The closer you get to him, the worse it gets."

"Why is this happening?" Katie asked. "Why?"

Jasmine went over to Katie. "Because you two are something like soul mates."  
>Katie didn't know about that one. "Can I change what's going to happen?"<p>

"I know don't know," Jasmine admitted. "I wish I could give you an answer to that one."  
>"I don't like this," Katie stated. "It feels like I'm being everyone, but myself."<br>Jasmine just nodded. "It's a blessing and a curse, isn't it?"  
>Katie nodded. "But what can I do about it?"<br>Jasmine shrugged. "I'm not all that familiar with the concept." She paused. "I am very sorry about that."  
>Katie felt her heart sink. She had really relied on Jasmine knowing more about that.<p>

Jasmine put her hand on Katie's shoulder. "That only thing we can do is keep those we love safe."  
>"What about if it's too late for that?" Katie whispered.<p>

"Then, we enjoy what time we have left with them." A brief flash of pain crossed Jasmine's face.

"It's not been a death vision with him," Katie said. At least he hoped it wasn't. "I just see him hurt."

Jasmine nodded. "Please, don't tell him," she whispered. "We have to protect the men in our lives."

Katie nodded. She was being to understand that. She knew that it was the women who held the family together. The women kept life somewhat normal for their family.

"I'm glad you're going to become a permanent member of our family," Jasmine said. "You two are good for each other."  
>"Are you sure the whole soul mate thing doesn't have anything to do that?" Katie asked.<p>

Jasmine cracked a smile. "Well, now that you mention it..."

Katie found it odd that Jasmine did not correct her on the use of the words soul mates. Was there really such a thing as soul mates? Katie had thought that it just happened in Muggle romance novels.

Katie laughed. "I can already see one problem with him."  
>"Only one?" Jasmine laughed.<p>

Katie nodded. "Yeah, he has issues with putting his wet towels in the hamper."

Jasmine laughed harder. "Sweetheart, I've been trying to break that habit for twenty-one years and I've gotten nowhere."

Katie rolled her eyes. "I think it's a male thing."

"Yeah, none of the men in life put their towels in the correct place," Jasmine said.

"Great," was all Katie said.

Jasmine laughed again. Katie did have to admit that Jasmine had a nice laugh; it was very close to Marcus's. Katie loved seeing similar things in people. It was like people were their own person, but at the same time, they were everyone. However, it was the fact that people were different that made times like this war challenging.

Jasmine stood. "Well, I had best get out of your hair."

"Oh, you don't have to." Katie really met that. She enjoyed Jasmine's company.

"No, I really must be going."  
>"Well, I'll walk you out." Katie had no idea why she just said that. The front door was only a couple of metres away.<p>

Jasmine nodded.

Katie followed Jasmine out of the room. "Before I forget, I'm going to do look at dresses next week. I would really love it if you could come with us."  
>Jasmine turned and gave Katie a warm smile. "I will be happy to go with you."<br>"Great," Katie smiled. She really did mean that.

Jasmine nodded. "Just send me the details. Don't bother with Marcus. The line of communication stops with him."  
>Katie nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed that."<p> 


	14. Chapter 13: Into Your Light

Chapter Thirteen: Into Your Light

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus sat down hard on the sofa of his living room. Katie ran her hand through his short hair as she kissed his lips. She climbed on top of him and smiled down at him.

"Well, what brought this on?" Marcus asked. He really wasn't complaining about this. He did enjoy a good make out session now and then.

"Just shut up and kiss me," was all Katie said.

Marcus kissed her. He wasn't one to turn down what the needs of a lady. He let her push him down onto the sofa. She put her hands under his shirt and rubbed his stomach. He fought the urge to pull away. He was very sensitive on his stomach.

Katie gave him on final kiss before pulling away. Marcus sat up slowly. He didn't understand what was wrong.

"Now, that you've had your fun, it's time we have a little chat," Katie said.

Marcus had a feeling that he wasn't going to like where this was going. Whenever a woman wanted to have a chat with him, it normally did not end up going well for him. "About what?"  
>"Your guest life, your wedding party choices, and Natalia," Katie said in one breath.<p>

Marcus frowned. How had Katie found about Natalia? "Natalia?"  
>Katie nodded. "She paid me a visit."<br>Natalia went around visiting people; this was news to Marcus."About what?"  
>"You." Katie pushed Marcus down onto her lap and began to stroke his hair.<p>

"What about me?" Marcus asked.

Katie brushed Marcus's bangs off his forehead. "I like it whenever you wear your hair a little bit longer. I can see the waves in it."  
>Marcus frowned. There was no way Katie was going to get him off this subject. "What did she say about me?"<br>"I also need your wedding stuff too." Katie was now humming.  
>Marcus reached up and gently took Katie's hand into his. "What did you two say about me?""<br>Katie sighed. "It's a secret."  
>Marcus frowned. What was going on here?<br>Katie pulled her hand away from his and went back to his hair. "You know that you have to be careful, don't you?"  
>"I see you've been talking to my mother as well," Marcus said. He closed his eyes. What in the world had brought all of this on?<p>

Katie smiled. "You're just a popular subject lately."  
>"I've noticed," Marcus said. He didn't go on. Why were people talking about him? It kind of made him wonder if people trusted him or not. Plus, why weren't they telling him what was going on?<p>

Katie was humming now. "You don't need to worry about it, though."  
>Marcus frowned. That was exactly what he didn't want to hear.<p>

"Your mother was just telling me about your stupid habits."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "That's just great."

Katie laughed. "I thought that would be your reaction."

Marcus just smiled, but didn't say anything. It really bothered him that people were keeping secrets from him. Wasn't this supposed to be time when you weren't supposed to keep secrets from the people closest to you? He blinked; maybe he was just taking his too far.

Katie ran her hand through his hair. "You have really soft hair, you know that?"  
>"I guess," Marcus muttered.<br>"Girls would kill to have your hair and your eyes lashes," Katie went on.

"What about my eye lashes?" Marcus asked.

"They are so long and just shouldn't be on a male," Katie said.

Marcus just shrugged. He had never heard anyone say anything about his eyelashes before. It was rather odd, but he would work with it.

Katie leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I really do need your wedding stuff."

Marcus blinked. He had hoped she would forget about that. He never knew how much work went into weddings. Why couldn't getting married just be simple? So much planning and time went into it and it was making his head spin.

"Your mother would also like to know your plans as well," Katie said.

Marcus did not want to admit it but his mother scared him more than his dad. He did not want to get on the wrong side of Jasmine. Threatening to go to Jasmine was just low in his book.

"Your mother seems very keen on making sure you get your stuff done," Katie went on.

Marcus nodded. "I've noticed."

Katie kissed his forehead. "Well, why don't get on that?"  
>Marcus didn't answer. It wasn't that he didn't want to get married, there was just something holding him back on this whole wedding thing. He really didn't understand why they were trying to have a wedding given what was going on. He didn't want to say anything to Katie about it either. It would probably crush her.<p>

"Marcus?" Katie asked.

Marcus looked up at her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, why?"  
>"You're really quiet today," Katie said. "It kind of made me wonder."<p>

Marcus blinked. He didn't think he was any quieter than normal, but, then, who was he to judge?

Katie sighed. "We really do need to get on this wedding thing."  
>"I know," Marcus whispered.<p>

Katie sighed again. "What do you want to do about it?"  
>Marcus shrugged.<p>

Katie pulled him to his feet. "Come on, we have to get something done."  
>Marcus gave her a playful smile. "Do we have too?"<p>

"Yes."

The sat down at the large dining room table. Marcus really didn't understand why he had such a big table until now. Katie placed different wedding books all of the table. There were stuff that he hadn't even heard of before nor was he aware of how many different kinds of lace there were. It just blew his mind how all of this was possible.

Katie motioned for Marcus to take a seat next to her. "First order of business, guest list. We need to have this invitations sent out this weekend."

Marcus nodded. "How many people were you thinking?"

Katie shrugged. "I don't know."

Marcus nodded again. He knew that this was going to be a long and painful night. He fought the urge to groan. Why did everything have to be so complicated?  
><strong>Four Hours Later<strong>

Katie eyed Marcus. He was driving her crazy.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" Katie roared at Marcus.

"ME, YOU'RE THE ONE!"

Katie through her hands up in the air. What had happened to them? Where had the magic gone? "I'M SO SICK OF THIS OR YOU!"

Marcus froze. That one had hurt.

She looked at the time 2:30 am. At 2:30 am, everything was slipping right out of their hands.

Katie ran out of the house and into the street. She braced herself for the goodbye that she knew was coming.

Marcus followed her out and pulled her close.

Katie leaned into him. "Sorry, baby."

"Me too." He was silent for a few minutes. "I'll never leave you alone."

Marcus was glad that he had learned the lesson early. It was always better to the let the woman win a fight. It would always work out better for the two of them if he just hurried up and admitted he was wrong.

Marcus lead Katie back inside. He knew that it would probably be in their best interest to call it quits for tonight. Both of them had just had too much for one night.

They made their way up to Marcus's room. Katie sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at him. "What's happened to us?"

Marcus sat down next to her. "What do you?"

"I don't know," Katie whispered.

Marcus didn't response to her. He really didn't know what to say. They were alone in this, but strong. He didn't know how to say that; he really didn't. He looked over at her and her light. She was an angel and he wanted to be in her light.

Katie smiled over at him. "What?"  
>Marcus kissed. "Nothing." He paused. "There's nothing wrong with us."<p>

Natalia Woods looked around her shop in Knockturn Alley. For two solid days no one had been in. Knockturn Alley was almost a ghost town. There was hardly anything here anymore.

She sighed and looked out the window. There wasn't even anyone walking down the street. She reached up and turned the sign, so that it read closed.

"No point in sitting here wasting my time here," Natalia said to herself.

She had lost Marcus to Katie Bell. She kind of figured that it would happen sometime but when it did it was still a shock. She had been out with a few people but none of them was right for her. Still she could not get that boy out of her mind.

**"People talk in Knockturn Alley," she said. **

** "Freely?"**

** Natalia nodded. **

** "Are you willing to share information?"**

** She smiled. **

** "How do you know about me?"**

** "I wasn't sure about you, but I knew about you parents," Natalia replied. **

** "When was you sure?" Marcus inquired. **

** "Just now." **

** Marcus nodded. "Why are you asking me?"**

** Natalia stared him in the eye. "I am sick of them acting like they own the world."**

** Marcus nodded again. **

** "Do want my help or not?" Natalia asked. **

** Marcus took a deep breath. This was big risk. He did not really know Natalia, but she sounded like she wanted to help. Was he willing to sacrifice the Order? It could be the death of them all. The odds were, however, in their favour with her. The Order needed all the help it could get or the fight would had ended before even started. The wound had been opened and he did not want to be the one to pour the salt. **

** But, they needed help. **

** "Can it just be between the two of us?" Marcus asked. **

** "That would probably be the best," Natalia said. "I will see you around."**

** Marcus watched as she disappeared into Knockturn Alley. **

Natalia had a sister in Australia. Maybe it was time to visit her. Yeah, that's what she would do. She needed to get out of Britain. It was for her safely and to get away from the pain of losing Marcus. She had never realized how much she really cared about him until now. Why did the world have to be so mean to her?

Natalia heard a knock on the front door of her shop. She looked up at the clock. It was 7:00 p.m. This was an odd time for people to be visiting her shop.

She walked over to the door. Slowly, she opened the door. A sick feeling was starting to form in her stomach. On the other side of the door there was something there.

Something black.

Something with its face covered.

It pulled back its mask and Natalia screamed. She tried to run away, but there was no hope.

A jet of green light shot out of its wand and Natalia hit the floor.

Dead.

Murdered in Knockturn Alley.

**Yeah, not my best chapter. I couldn't get everything to go together in this chapter. Yes, Natalia is dead. I didn't want to kill her, but she just had to go. The wedding will be coming up soon. I was going to make it two chapters, but I am now leaning toward one big one. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 14: Heart By Heart

Chapter Fourteen: Heart By Heart

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback**

**The kiss was a shock, but she couldn't pull away. She was surprised that he had made the first move. She was surprised that he was kissing her. **

** She kissed him back and ran her figures through his hair. She was completely aware of the fact that at any given time anyone could see them. Yet, she didn't care. He was the only one she saw. **

** Marcus broke the kiss. "What about Wood?" **

** "We broke up." **

** He looked relieved. "Good, I didn't want him to kill me." **

** Katie laughed. "Kiss me." **

** And he did again. **

**Katie broke away from him. She could still feel his touch on her lips. He was so gentle, so good. He was everything that he ever wanted, everything that she ever wished for. **

** She gently touched the side of his face. "So?" **

** He looked away. "What was that for?" **

** "What was what?" For a minute she thought that he was talking about the kiss. **

** "The so?" **

** Yes! He wasn't talking about the kiss. "I have no idea." **

** He leaned against the wall. "I never realized how much you talked." **

** She laughed. "I normally don't." **

** "Then why me?"**

** "I have no idea." **

** "Just luck of the draw?" **

** "I guess." **

** "You'd better go get a shower." **

** "Why?" **

** "You're all sweaty." **

** "That didn't seem to bother you before." **

Katie walked into a bridal shop in downtown London. She was going to find her dress today, even if it took all day. Jenna and Jasmine were right behind her, while her bridesmaids, Sierra, Zoey, Haley, Leanne, Alicia, Lisa and Angelina, followed slowly behind.

"What about this?" Zoey asked as she held up a very there dress.

"No." Katie looked at the dress. Who would wear that to a wedding, let alone in public?  
>Zoey let the dress fall back onto the rack with a smirk on her face. "It's your loss."<p>

"Well, I'll just have to risk it," was all Katie said.

Katie looked around the shop. She wasn't even sure what kind of dress she wanted. She did kind of know what she didn't want. She wasn't one for puffy or mermaid dresses. She also didn't want something was super low cut. Plus, it had to fit her low budget. This was something she wanted to buy for herself. There was probably hundreds of dresses in here, surely one of them had to be for her.

Jenna put her arm around Katie's shoulder. "Do you see anything yet?"  
>Katie shook her head. "But then, I really haven't gotten the chance to look around yet either."<br>Jenna gave Katie's shoulder a squeeze. "Don't give up."

Katie nodded.

Leanne grabbed Katie. "Let's go." She pulled Katie into the racks. Leanne began grabbing dresses off the racks, holding them up to Katie, and shoving some in Katie's arms and putting others back on the racks. "So, how's Marcus?"

Katie could barely see over the dresses anymore. "Fine, why?"

Leanne was now piling dresses into Haley's arms, who had appeared out of nowhere. "No, I mean **how **is he?"

Haley and Katie made chocking noises.

"Um, that's my brother you're talking about," Haley said.

Katie nodded. "And we are in a public area."

Leanne smiled. "Well, it is something to consider."  
>"Again, my brother," Haley pointed out.<p>

"Again, in a public place." Katie didn't know why she was fighting this. What she did with Marcus was nobody's business.

Leanne looked at the mound of dresses. "This is enough for this round." She paused. "You never answered my question."

Haley made gagging noises.

Katie started back toward the changing. "Again, I'm not going to."

"Oh, thank you," Haley said.

"You are no fun," Leanne muttered.

Haley stuck her tongue at Leanne. "Well, stop talking about my brother like that."  
>Leanne just rolled her eyes.<p>

Katie pulled Haley away from Leanne. "And by the way, we haven't!"  
>Haley gave Katie a look. "I thought we were over that."<p>

Leanne frowned. "Why not?"  
>Katie shrugged. "We're not about that."<p>

The three girls met the others in the back of the store. Each of them had an armful of dresses. Katie felt her heart sink a little bit. There were so many different styles and what not. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Jenna pulled a cart up and motioned for them to put their dresses in it. Katie eyed the mountain of dresses. This was going to be so much fun.

Jenna smiled at Katie. "Do you want some help?"  
>"Yeah," Katie answered.<p>

Jenna pulled a couple of dresses out of the mountain and followed Katie into the dressing room. Jenna put the dresses on the rack in the dressing room. "Do you see anything you like?"  
>Katie eyed the dresses. One was a puffy ball gown, one was mermaid shape, and the was very simple. "I don't want the ball gown and mermaid shape."<br>"Do want to try on any like those?" Jenna asked.

Katie shook her head.

Jenna opened the door and handed the two dresses to Lisa. "All of this kind goes back on the rack."

Lisa nodded. She turned to the others. "You heard her."  
>Katie looked at the simple white dress. It was pretty. It had a sweetheart neckline and wasn't anything over the top, but she just wasn't feeling it. She knew that it would look very lovely on her, but it didn't feel like it was the one.<p>

Jenna came back over to Katie. "Should we start?"  
>Katie nodded. "Yeah." She slipped the dress on. It was going to be a very long day.<p>

Outside, Jasmine was eyeing a dress with sleeves. The sleeves and neckline were lace, but the rest of it was plain. It was full, but not too full. She pulled it off the rack and went over to a mirror with it and held it up in the light. Now that she was actually holding it in her hands, she could see the faint outlines of flowers on it. It didn't look good on her with her dark features, but it probably would on Katie.

Jasmine could just picture Katie in it and walking down the aisle in it. Jasmine smiled and carried the dress back to the others. She had to admit that on the rack it didn't look like Katie, but in her hands it did. It was an innocent dress, just like Katie was an innocent person.

"What did you find?" Angelina asked as Jasmine made her way back to them.

"I know it doesn't look like her, but I think she would look lovely in it," Jasmine said as she showed the girls the dress.

"It's girly, but too girly," Alicia said, "just like Katie."  
>Lisa studied the dress. "If she doesn't like it, then I'm buying it for myself."<br>Angelina laughed. "So does that mean you're marrying Alex?"

Lisa snorted. "Fat chance."

"Why don't you two just get together already?" Leanne asked.

Lisa just gave her a pointed look.

Jasmine and Haley exchanged looks. Either one of them had a clue as to what was going on.

Jasmine walked toward the dressing room. "Well, I should probably get this to Katie."

Jasmine went into the dressing room area and knocked on Katie's door. "Katie," she called. "I found another one for you to try on."  
>Jenna's face appeared in the crack of the door. "She hasn't found one to show you guys yet."<br>Jasmine placed the dress into Jenna's hands. "I think she'll like this one."  
>Jenna nodded. "It's worth a shot."<br>Jasmine stepped back and allowed Jenna to close the door. Jasmine wondered where Katie's real mother was. She hadn't meant the other woman and knew that she wasn't a big part of Katie's life. Still, Jasmine had thought that the mother would have at least showed up for this. She couldn't image a mother not being there for her children.

Jasmine went back out to the others and sat down.

"Was that Jasmine?" Katie asked as she wiggled out of the current reject.

Jenna nodded and handed Katie another dress. "Yeah, she thought you would like this one."

Katie looked at the dress. She did have to admit that it was pretty. "It's worth a shot."  
>Jenna nodded and smiled as she helped Katie into it.<p>

Katie turned and looked at herself in the mirror. It clung to her in all the right places. It actually made her look like a woman instead of an almost nineteen-year-old child. She smiled and could see that her eyes here dancing. This was it everything she wanted in a wedding dress.

"I want to show them this," Katie whispered.

Jenna nodded. "You look very lovely in that."

Katie gathered up the skirts. "Thank you."  
>Jenna pushed open the door and they walked out to where the others were. Katie stepped nervously into the centre of the group.<p>

"That is perfect," Lisa said as she looked Katie up and down. "You have to get it."  
>The others made similar remarks of approval.<p>

Katie looked at herself in the mirror. She did have to admit that she looked good; this was probably the best she had looked in a long time, maybe in her entire life. She could just feel herself glowing.

"Is this it?" Jenna asked as she leaned over Katie's shoulder.

Katie nodded her head. "Yeah." She paused and pulled the price tag out. Her heart sank whenever she saw the numbers on it. "It's too much."  
>Jenna eyed the price as well. Katie saw Jenna's face fall. There was no way the family could afford this. The wedding was already costing them.<p>

Jasmine was rummaging around in her purse. "I'll pay for it."

Katie smiled at her future mother-in-law. "No, I couldn't possibly let you do that."

Jasmine shook her head. "Consider this payment."  
>Katie frowned. " Thanks." She paused. "Payment for what?"<br>Jasmine handed a plastic card to a salesgirl. "Someone hasn't gotten his clothes for the wedding."  
>Katie closed her eyes. She was going to kill him.<p>

Jasmine smiled at her. "If you call him now, tell him we can have it over with today."  
>Katie rolled her eyes. "Why I am not surprised?"<br>Jasmine laughed. "Because you know him well."

"Let me change and I'll see if I can get a hold of the child," Katie said as she walked back toward the dressing room.

Jenna followed Katie. "So, what are you doing now?"

Katie changed back into her jeans and shirt. "Marcus needs to get his stuff."  
>Jenna zipped the dress up into a dress bag. "I see." She looked at Katie. "Have you brought up the problem yet?"<br>Katie shook her head. "I was going to ask him about it. I don't think it will matter to them." She paused. "I can't believe I forgot about them being Catholic and not Protestant."

"I just never thought about it," Jenna responded. "Just ask him and we'll work something out."  
>Katie nodded as she pulled out her mobile. "Now, this is more difficult task." She punched in Marcus's number.<p>

"Hello," Marcus said after the third ring. His voice was hoarse.

"What's this I hear about you not having your clothes?" Katie asked.

"I do have clothes," Marcus responded back.

"Your wedding clothes," Katie snapped back.

Marcus was silent for a few seconds. "Oh, that."

"Yes , that." Katie paused. "What are you doing?"

"Dying," Marcus muttered.

"Huh?"  
>"I have a fever and sore throat," Marcus answered.<p>

Katie really wasn't all that surprised he was sick. Two of his friends were killed a couple of weeks ago and it had been pouring at the funeral. She was surprised that she hadn't gotten sick. "Well, come to London and get your clothes, then you can go back to bed."

Marcus groaned. "Just give me a few minutes."  
>Katie closed her mobile and turned to Jenna. "He's coming."<br>Jenna nodded. "Good."

Katie could tell that Marcus was miserable. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a plain white shirt. His face was pale and warm to the touch.

"I think you need a size smaller in the pants," Katie said. The pants were really baggy on him. She lifted up his shirt and could the waistband of his boxers. "I'm pretty sure you do."

Marcus nodded as he disappeared back into the dressing room.

Katie sat down next to Jasmine and Jenna. The rest of the group had already gone home.

"He looks like he's having so much fun," Jenna said.

"He's sick," Katie replied. "I'm pretty sure he wants to be done so he can go back to bed."  
>Marcus came back out in the smaller pants.<p>

"That looks better," Jasmine said.

Marcus nodded. "Is this it?"  
>Katie handed him his dress jacket. "See how it looks with this."<p>

Marcus put the jacket on and let Katie look at him. She had have to admit that he didn't clean up all that bad.

"Well?" Marcus asked.

Katie nodded. "It's perfect."


	16. Chapter 15: The Crow The Owl and The Dov

Chapter Fifteen: The Crow, The Owl, and the Dove

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**This chapter is longer than normal. Yes, it is the wedding. **

**I "borrowed" the wedding vows from these two sites: ** . and /article/wedding-ceremony-sample-14. **I do not own them and all credit goes to the people who wrote these lovely vows. **

The lone figure stood on top of the hill. He looked down at the small town that stood at the bottom of the hill. The lights looked light tiny fireflies. The Muggles were safely in bed, clueless. They didn't know about battles of the future or what was to come.

"You just wait," the figure said. "There's a battle coming and you won't be ready for it. It's time to go back, back to where it all began."

And the lone figure disappeared.

Marcus sighed as he opened his eyes. He hadn't expected the end of November to come so quickly. He looked at his alarm clock and pulled his blankets back over his head. He still had time to get in a few more hours of sleep. He had just closed his eyes whenever he felt his blankets being pulled back down again.

"Rise and shine," Brad said.

Marcus eyed his dad. "What are you doing here?"  
>Brad sat down on the edge of Marcus's bed. "You have orders to get up and get moving." Brad picked up the book Marcus had been reading. "Charles Dickens?"<br>Marcus took the book from his dad. "Says who?"  
>"Katie and your mother." Brad gave Marcus a small smile. "I tried to pull for you, but I got nowhere. You know how they are."<br>Marcus sat up slowly. "It's freaking six in the morning."  
>"I know."<br>Marcus sighed. This was probably just the start of a very long day. He knew that he should be excited about getting married, but right now all he wanted to do was sleep. "How long does it take to get ready?"

Brad shrugged. "I think they have other plans for us."  
>"Great," Marcus muttered.<p>

They had set everything up last night. Marcus didn't get home until one in the morning. It had been a last minute decision to have it at the Randolph Castle instead of a church. Katie was afraid of upsetting the families by having the wedding in a church. Marcus really didn't see what the big deal was, but for some it was.

Brad got off the bed. "Yeah, I was planning on sleeping late too, but your mother got me up and told me to get you."  
>"Can we just say a Death Eater attack delayed us?" Marcus asked. He knew it was a terrible thing to joke about.<p>

Brad got a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't think it would work though."

"Damn," was all Marcus said as he climbed out of bed.

Brad laughed. "But it was nice try."  
>Marcus went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. "I'm going to take a shower."<p>

"I'll be here," Brad said as Marcus disappeared into the bathroom.

Marcus didn't say that he was afraid of that.

Marcus bent down and turned on the shower. As the steam filled in around him, he put his hands on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. He could barely make himself out, but he knew that he hadn't physically changed. It was the inside that had changed.

Marcus closed his eyes. He only had a few more hours of being single left. He was getting married today. He gulped. He was getting married, his life was changing. What would it be like to be married?  
>He wanted love, but was it really everything he wanted? Was innocence was he really wanted, what he really needed?<p>

Forty-five minutes later, Marcus found himself seated at his dining room table across from his father. They had already eaten a dozen donuts and drank half a pot of tea. Neither one of them appeared to want to move.

Brad slowly looked at his watch. "I suppose we had best be moving."

Marcus nodded as he put his cup in the sink. "I guess."

A few minutes later, they arrived on the vast land surrounding Randolph Castle. Marcus looked up at the castle. When he was growing up, he never thought about possibly getting married here, let alone seeing it actually happen.

A crow flew over them. Marcus watched it. It was purposely staying away from them; its pride would not let it come any closer, even though it wanted to. Marcus rolled his eyes. It was so stupid that pride prevented living creatures from doing what they wanted to. Pride between houses certainly hadn't stopped Marcus and Katie from getting together.

"There you two are!" Jasmine exclaimed as Brad and Marcus stepped into the grand entry of the castle. "I was being to worry that you weren't going to come."  
>Brad smiled at his wife. "We've still got plenty of time."<br>Marcus nodded in agreement.

"In a wedding, every second counts," Jasmine said. She turned to Marcus. "You should've been here earlier. It is your wedding after all."

Behind his mother, Marcus could see his older brothers Brian and Shawn. They were trying so hard not to laugh. Marcus really didn't see what was so funny, but with them it was hard to tell.

Jasmine handed Marcus a stack of plates. "You take this and see what your grandmother wants you to do with these."

Marcus nodded. His grandmother would probably be the easiest person here to work with.

Marcus passed Brian and Shawn.

"Have fun, little brother," Shawn called after him.

Marcus went into the ballroom. His grandmother and several of Katie's brides mates were in there. He sat the plates down on the edge of the table and went over to them.

"Hello, there," Jessica Randolph said when she same him. "We are just about done here."

Marcus sat down at one of the tables and looked around the room. He was kind of glad that Katie didn't chose traditional wedding colours. Since it was November, Katie wanted to go with a fall theme. The ball room ceiling had been enchanted with a blue sky filled with white clouds. Leaves with brilliant fall colours would dance across the sky. The centre pieces to the tables were rust flowers with dried berries mixed in them. The table clothes were red on some tables and brown on others. Streamers of yellow and orange were placed along the walls. It looked nice, but he would not say that to Katie.

Jessica placed a mountain in front of Marcus. "Count these. I need to know if we have enough."  
>Marcus sighed and went to work. Why couldn't weddings just be simple?<p>

He looked at his watch. There was only a few more hours until the big show. He knew he was ready.

Katie stood in front of the mirror, inspecting her dress. She smiled at Jenna, who was putting the final touches on Katie's hair.

"Thank you so much, Jenna," Katie whispered. Jenna was the mother in her life. She took away the empty space that Katie's biological mother had left.

" What else am I supposed to do?" Jenna asked, pulling out a makeup bag before starting on that task. "I just hope your sisters don't get married yet. They seem to already be planning their own wedding."  
>Katie laughed. She could just picture her sisters doing that. "They're not nearly old enough, Jenna," Katie said, running her hand through her hair. "You think Marcus will like it?" She was shaking with nervousness.<p>

Jenna took her hands as the bride mates bustled around the room. She smiled at Katie and nodded."You are my daughter and Marcus would be a very stupid young man if he didn't," Jenna whispered, her eyes misty. "Don't you think, Jasmine ?"

Jasmine looked over at Katie and smiled. "You both look beautiful," she said, pulling both of us into a hug. "You should feel special. Marcus shaved without having to be told to."

Katie laughed. Today was going to be a good day then.

She looked out the window and saw an owl sitting on the branch. She looked at its leg, but didn't see a letter. Why was an owl out during the day? It stared at her with its wise eyes. Katie took a step back. Why was it looking at her like that? A few minutes later it flew away. Katie watched it as it disappeared. The owl was old and wise, but it offered nothing she needed today.

Katie turned back around and saw herself face to face with Jessica Randolph. Haley was laughing slowly at Katie's surprise.

Jessica gave Katie a warm smile. "I know you are busy, but I was wondering if I could trouble you for a few seconds."

Katie nodded. "Of course. I just want to thank you again for letting us use your home."  
>Jessica's brown eyes, Marcus's eyes, danced at her. "It's no problem, my dear." She pulled something out of a bag paper bag. "Whenever a bride get married, our family has a tradition of giving one of these to her."<p>

Katie looked down at the tiara. Its silver glitter sprinkled. It looked like something out of a Disney movie. "Thank you. It's like nothing I've ever had before."  
>Jessica reached for the tiara. "May I?"<p>

Katie nodded.

Jessica went behind Katie and put the tiara. "There. You look just like a princess."  
>Haley handed Katie a mirror.<p>

When Katie stared at herself, she almost didn't recognize herself. She didn't look like a little girl playing dress up in her mother's clothes. She looked like a woman.

Jasmine knocked on the door. "It's time."  
>Jenna helped Katie to her feet. "You are beautiful."<br>"Thank you," Katie said as she allowed Jenna to glide her out of the room. Katie loved Jenna and was glad she was here for this special day. It made the fact that Katie's biological mother wasn't here a little better.

Jim Bell was waiting in the entry way. He smiled as he saw Katie approach. "I almost didn't recognize you."

Katie laughed as she took her father's arm.

"I really didn't recognize Marcus when I saw him earlier," Jim went on.

Katie laughed even harder. After a few seconds she paused; she really did want to know what Marcus looked like. She had seen him in his wedding clothes at the fitting, but hadn't seen the final product.

The brides mates lined up in front of Katie and her father. Marcus's sister-in-laws, Samantha and Missy, were bringing the flower girl and ring bearer through and putting the final touches on them.

"Are you ready?" Jim whispered to Katie.

Katie nodded. "Yeah."  
>"My little girl is all grown up and getting married," Jim said.<p>

Katie had hope to avoid this speech. She had seen it all the movies and had really hoped to avoid it.

"Just don't let him push around and you know if anything goes wrong you can always home," Jim went on.

Katie nodded.

"And you two will hopefully give me grandchildren soon."

Katie looked at her father. "Grandchildren?"  
>"Well, you two are planning on having children at some point aren't you?" Jim asked.<p>

Katie stared at the back of Sierra's head. Did Marcus want children? "We really haven't talked about it."

Jim smiled at Katie. "I know it's early, but it is something to think about."

Outside Katie heard the music start to play. This talk would have to be finished later.

Katie and Jim stepped forward. She could not believe that in a matter of seconds she would be walking down the aisle to the man of her dreams. Sierra gave Katie one final smile as she started down the aisle.

"This is it," Katie said under her breath.

"This is it," Jim said as they stepped down out into the grand room.

Katie eyed the dove on the wall. It was so calm and gentle looking, but it had nothing she needed. All she needed was the man waiting for her at the altar.

She put one foot in front of the other as she and her father made their way down to Marcus. Katie looked at Marcus and then at his groomsmen. Damon, his best man, was standing directly behind him. The others, Chris Derrick, Adrian Pucey, Alex Greenbrier, Collin Haynes, Nathanial, and Ryan. Nathanial and Ryan were Marcus's older brothers.

Behind them, Brian and Lucas, two more of Marcus's brothers, closed the doors. There was no going back now.

Marcus watched as Katie approached him. He thought she was beautiful on any given day, but seeing her in that dress just stole his heart away.

Jim and Katie paused in front of Marcus and the preacher.

The preacher opened his Bible and looked at the crowd. "We have come together at the invitation of Katherine and Marcus celebrate the uniting in Christian love, their hearts and lives. This is possible because of the love God has created in them, through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." This abundant life, for many people, is an impossible dream, yet God wants us all to have this abundant life and proved His love for us by giving His Son, that we might have this life. Another way that God provides for this "full" life is creating those who will love us. Marcus has found such a one in Katherine hearts and spirits were drawn together before today by the Lord of all creation. Two lives are not united by ceremony, but only in the power, love, and grace of God. Marcus and Katherine are here to publicly declare that because of Jesus Christ's love, they too can truly love one another. As God demonstrated His love in Jesus, our Lord, Marcus and Katherine will demonstrate this God given love by giving themselves to one another and one for the other. They have not reached this place alone, each has been given life by their parents. These, who gave to them life love, provision, are and will be, a vital part in their continued lives. Their love has borne fruit in Marcus and Katherine. Love and respect for these will continue as they grow in their own love made possible by their parents."

Marcus didn't remember the introduction being so long.

" Who then has prepared this woman for marriage to this man?" the preacher asked.

"Her mother and I," Jim answered. He offered Katie's hand up to Marcus.

Marcus bent down and guided Katie up to him. They stood under the alter facing each other.

"We are gathered here today, on this happy and joyous occasion, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Marriage is a solemn institution to be held in honour by all, it is the cornerstone of the family and of the community. It requires of those who undertake it a complete and unreserved giving of one's self. It is not to be entered into lightly, as marriage is a sincere and mutual commitment to love one another. This commitment symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives and still enhances the individuality of each of you," the preacher said. He looked around the room. "If anyone has any objections to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The room was silent. Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus saw his parents sitting in the row with big smiles on their faces.

Marcus and Katie stood facing each other smiling. He could not believe this was actually happening. He was getting married.

The preacher looked back and forth at Marcus and Katie. "Marcus and Katherine, no other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred than these you are about to assume. You are entering into that holy estate which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love."

Katie gave Marcus's hand a small squeeze. She was glowing.

The preacher turned to Marcus. " Marcus, will you have Katherine, to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony; will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her so long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Marcus said.

The preacher nodded and turned to Katie. " Katherine , will you have Marcus, to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony; will you love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him so long as you both shall live?"  
>Katie nodded. "I will."<br>"Groom, take the bride by her right hand and repeat after me," the preacher said.

Marcus did as he was told. He always found this part of wedding to be really awkward.

" In your eyes, I have found my home .In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you, I am whole, full, alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat. I am yours. You are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever," the preacher said.

Marcus carefully repeated each line. He knew that he would never hear the end of it if he messed this part up.

"Bride, repeat after me," the preacher said.

Katie's beautiful mezzo voice filled the castle. " You are my inspiration and my soul's fire. You are the magic of my days. You help me laugh, you teach me love. You provide a safe place for me, unlike I've ever known. You free me to sing my own song. You are more of an amazement to me, each day I rediscover you. You are my greatest boon. I am yours. You are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever."

The preacher took the rings from Marcus's nephew and turned to Marcus." what symbol do you bring as a pledge of that sincerity of your vows?"

"A ring," Marcus said.

The preacher turned to Katie. "Please remember, a ring is more than a symbol of your marriage. It is a seal of the vow you have made to one another. The circle of the ring is, as far as human eye can see, a perfect circle-with no beginning or end-so God too, has perfect love for you and wants you to love one another in His grace-never, never ending. This ring is made of precious metal. You also are precious in God's sight and now in the life of Marcus. When you are absent one from another, the presence of the ring reminds you to be faithful and to fulfill your vows to Marcus. Rings have historically been the sign of authority-used to seal documents and proclamations, you now accept this authority in your life."

Katie smiled over at Marcus. She had been dreaming of this day since she was little girl and now he was almost hers. She could just picture their life together and all of the good times that were yet to come.

The preacher was still focusing on Marcus. " You may now place your ring on your Bride's finger."

Marcus slid the ring carefully on her finger. Katie watched him carefully.

The preacher now turned his attention to Katie. "Katherine, what symbol do you bring as a pledge of that sincerity of your vows?"

"A ring," Katie said.

" Marcus, this ring is a seal of Katherine's vow to you. She presents this to you as a token of her submission to you in Jesus Christ. This is a symbol of leadership and privilege. God has placed you as head of the family. You must lead in worship, works and fellowship. As the weaker vessel she depends upon you for strength."

Katie smiled over at Marcus.

"You may now place your ring on your Groom's finger," the preacher said.

Katie took the ring and placed it in Marcus' finger. She thought that he looked rather odd wearing a ring. She blinked, they were almost there. They were almost married.

The preacher closed his Bible and looked at the wedding guest. "I am pleased to present you with Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Flint. You may kiss your bride."

Katie found Marcus's lips and pushed against them. She wondered if Marcus was aware of the fact that everyone was watching them. Kissing in public was something that she would never get used to.

A few seconds later, they broke apart. The music began to play and they walked down the aisle as husband and wife.

**Yeah, I didn't mean for it to get this long. Sadly, I probably will not have the next chapter up until the middle of May when my finals are over. As always, thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 16: The One That Got Away

Chapter Sixteen: The One That Got Away

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus ran his hand over his unshaven face. Married life had been good to him so far, but things with the war were getting worse. People were disappearing and mass exodus of witches and wizards were leaving Great Britain.

Katie came up behind him and put her arms around his waist. "Smile, it's almost Christmas," she whispered.

Marcus turned to her. "It's been a long year."

Katie nodded. "I know." She paused and looked at her feet. "I just got off the phone with Jenna and she said that they are leaving the country. They want us to come with them."

"I can't, but you probably," Marcus heard himself saying.

Katie stared out the window. "No, I'm staying here with you."

Marcus nodded. He hoped she would say that.

"What about your parents?" Katie asked.

Marcus took a long drink of tea and offered his cup to Katie, who took it. "Dad was talking about going to a Safe House. My grandparents left for Italy yesterday."

Katie took a drink of tea. "Pretty soon there won't be anyone left in the country."

"I know, but not everyone can leave. Someone has to fight," Marcus said slowly.

There was a knock on the front door. Marcus and Katie exchanged worried looks; these days, people didn't knock on other people's doors. They both reached into their pockets and started slowly toward the door. Marcus could feel his heart racing.

He reached out to open the door, but didn't get the chance. A middle aged woman stepped into the entry way with a bundle in her arms. She shoved the bundle into Katie's arms.

"Please, you have to take care of her," the woman begged. "She's Melissa and Peter's baby."  
>Marcus's eyes narrowed. He now recognized the woman as Melissa's mother.<p>

The woman's eyes were darting around. "They're after me and I can't risk Emily."

Katie was looking down at the baby in her arms.

"Treat her like your own," the woman said before darting back out of the house and disappearing in the woods.

Katie looked at Marcus. Her eyes were big. "Now, what do we do?"

Marcus was scanning the woods. He considered running after the woman, but something told him not too. "I don't know."

Katie looked down at Emily. "I don't know anything about rising a baby."

"That makes two of us," Marcus said as he closed the door.

Marcus and Katie peered down at Emily. She was looking up at them with big blue eyes. Marcus did have to admit that she looked enough like Katie to pass for Katie's daughter.

Emily smiled up at him with her arms stretched out.

Katie smiled over at him. "I think she likes you."

"You think?" Marcus asked. He had been around little kids before. All of his older brothers had children of their own.

Katie went over the sofa and sat down. "What do we do?" She looked down at Emily. "There has to be legal stuff we have to do."  
>Marcus sat down next to her. "Should we not worry about the legal business until this war is over? The Death Eaters are everywhere. We would be risking her."<p>

Katie sighed. "I guess you're right, but what do we do until then?"

Marcus stared ahead. He had no idea.

"We have to be careful," Katie said. "What if she lead them here?"  
>Marcus's eyes darted to the window. He really didn't expect the Death Eaters to break down the doors and kill them all, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of his standing with them and times were just too uncertain.<p>

Marcus got up and started to pace. "We need to be smart about this."

Katie rocked Emily in her arms. "I know." She paused. "You know what I can't get out of my mind?"

Marcus stopped in front of Katie. "What?"

"That we don't have anything for her," Katie said with a smile.

Marcus couldn't help himself; he started to laugh. "Would our parents have anything?" he asked once he managed to regain control of himself.

"I don't know," Katie replied. "I guess we have a few phone calls to make."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do."

Katie handed Emily to Marcus. "Here, hold her for a minute."

Marcus looked down at the baby. He couldn't even dream about bringing a child into the world in the middle of this. It just didn't seem right and fair. Why would someone bring a child into the world only to be orphaned?

He wasn't saying that he didn't want children. He just didn't think that now was the right time for one.

Katie returned a few minutes later with a blanket. "Wrap her up in this."

Marcus did what he was told.

"What are we going to do?" Katie wondered aloud.

Marcus stared ahead. "I have no idea."

Katie sighed. "We have to come up with something."

"I know," Marcus muttered. "I know."

Marcus shoved his hands deep into his robe pocket; he really hated the cold. Tonks was standing beside him with long dark hair on a small frame. Marcus felt kind of bad leaving Katie with Emily alone, but it had been a week and they were adjusting quiet well.

Tonks stared up at Natalia's shop. "It looks empty."

Marcus nodded as he kicked the door in. "She left."

Tonks stepped through the broken door. "Where would she keep everything?"

Marcus wondered behind the counter. "I don't know. Whenever she handed me information, it was always down here. She has an apartment upstairs."  
>Tonks looked around the shop. "She has a lot of creepy stuff in here."<p>

Marcus knelt down and shifted some items to the side. "She's a very creepy person."

Tonks laughed as she came around the counter to join him. "It takes a creepy person to work in Knockturn Alley."  
>Marcus laughed as he pulled out his wand and lit it. His eyes scanned the piece of paper in his hand; it was just a bill of sale for something. He couldn't make it out because the writing was faded.<p>

Tonks looked over at Marcus. "I hear you are now a father."

Marcus shifted aside some more papers before answering. "I guess, but we don't know what to do."

Tonks smiled at him. "It's been a week and Emily's not dead. You must be doing something right."

Marcus paused on a piece of paper. It had what looked like an address scribbled on it. "Tonks, do you know where this is?"

Tonks took Marcus's wand and held it close to the paper. "I think it's in London." She looked closed. "Muggle London."

Marcus frowned.

"Was Natalia the type to go into Muggle London?" Tonks asked.

"No," Marcus said softly. "I doubt she ever ventured into the Muggle world."

Tonks looked at the piece of paper and back at Marcus. "It seems that your friend had a lot of secrets."

Marcus wasn't sure if he would call Natalia a friend, but he didn't say it. There was a lot about Natalia that he didn't know. They never really talked about their personal lives; it was always just business. Now staring at the piece of paper in front of him, he wished that he had asked. Maybe it would have helped to solve some of the mystery surrounding Natalia.

He closed his eyes. A large of him wished that he had never ever seen Natalia's face. She had caused him so many headaches over the past couple of years. He was glad that she was gone and he never had to see her face again.

"Marcus?" Tonks asked.

Marcus looked at her. "Huh?"

"You were spacing out on me."

"Sorry." Marcus got to his feet. "Come on, let's go up to her apartment. I bet that's where she keeps all of the good stuff."

Tonks nodded and followed Marcus out. Marcus could feel her looking at him, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't in the mood to explain his feelings.

They climbed the stairs in silence; their footsteps sounded like soldiers marching off to battle.

Marcus frowned whenever he saw the front door. He was slightly opened. Natalia always made sure that her doors were tightly closed. Tonks pulled her wand and Marcus did the same. He pushed the door open and they stepped in.

A smell stopped Marcus and Tonks in their tracks. It smelled like something was rotting, decaying. They both lit their wands and looked around.

Tonks walked to the right of the door. "Um, Marcus."

Marcus went to her and looked down. Natalia was laying at his feet, dead.

"She's been here awhile," Tonks said as she knelt down next to Natalia.

Marcus got on his knees and looked at Natalia's body. He couldn't believe that she was dead.

"The killing curse," Tonks said. She looked up at Marcus. "Has the Death Eaters said anything about her?"

Marcus shook his head. "I know they shopped here, but they never mentioned her when I was around."

Tonks nodded and looked back down at Natalia. "We need to do something with her body."

Marcus nodded slowly. If the Death Eaters had found out about Natalia, did they know about him? He looked over his shoulder. Were they coming for him?

Tonks had her mobile out and was talking to someone from the Order. He wasn't paying attention to it. He just could not pull his eyes away from Natalia. He frowned and looked closer. Her right hand was closed into a fist. Marcus reached down, pulled the fist apart, and found a little note written on a yellowing piece of paper.

Marcus put his wand close to the paper and read its contents. "The end of it all is near. Be careful as the path isn't always clear. Marcus-," he muttered under his breath. What was she going to tell him?

Tonks was hanging up her mobile. "Well, that's done. Someone will collect her later tonight." She looked over at Marcus. "What did you find?"

Marcus handed the note over to Tonks. He still wasn't sure what Natalia was trying to say.

Frowning, Tonks read the note. "Was she always like this?"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I had to have her explain pretty much everything to me." He paused. "She did like messing with people's heads."

Tonks handed the note back to Marcus. "Was she a Seer?"

"Not that I know of," Marcus started in. "I thought she got her information from listening to what her customers were saying."

Tonks reached for the note again and studied it for a few minutes. "But is it possible? This sure sounds like something a Seer would write."

Marcus shrugged. "Anything is possible these days."

"It would explain why she was killed," Tonks said. "If she saw something that someone didn't like, it would give them grounds to kill her."

Marcus looked down at Natalia's body wondering who else knew about her possible abilities. There was just far too many questions and so few answers.

Marcus got to his feet and pulled the hood on his robes up. "Let's get out of here."  
>Tonks nodded and they left the apartment. As they walked down the outside steps, Marcus could feel someone watching them. He looked down Knockturn Alley and saw someone in a black robe quickly walking away from them.<p>

"Did you see that?" Marcus whispered to Tonks.

"Yeah," Tonks muttered. "We need to go."


	18. Chapter 17: Year of the Rat

Chapter Seventeen: Year of the Rat

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback**

**Three Years Ago**

** The end of the term feast was normally at happy event at Hogwarts. This year, everything was cast in black to by tribute to Credic. Katie did not know why truly happened in the maze that night, but she knew that the truth would be known tonight. Dumbledore was not one to keep secrets from his students. **

** Dumbledore stood up and did not have to wait long for silence. ****"The end of another year." ****He paused and casted a look of sorrow toward the Hufflepuff table. The entire house had a look of anguish on their faces. ****"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but first I must acknowledge the loss of a of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory." **

** The entire student body and staff did just that. **

**"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right to, therefore, to know exactly how it came about." **

** He paused and looked directly at the students. ****"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." **

** A wave of panic struck the hall. Vast whispers and mutters filled the hall. All this was to Katie was an eye opener. People knew that this was going to happen. There was some people who knew that the Dark Lord would return. **

**"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this...It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Credic died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory." **

**"Every guest in this Hall," Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again-in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are untied, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if out aims are identical and our hearts are open. **

**"It is my belief-and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken-that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our mist." **

**"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory." **

**Present Day**

Katie closed her eyes. Emily was napping in the other room and Katie was grateful for a few minutes of rest. Both she and Marcus had been on their feet nonstop since Emily arrived. Katie had never known how much trouble a child could be until now.

Marcus was out for a few hours. He had gone to Knockturn Alley with Tonks to raid Natalia's shop and apartment. Really, Katie was happy that he was gone. She loved him, but sometimes a little alone time was a good thing.

Katie sighed and allowed sleep to overtake her.

_Bellatrix kicked Marcus again. She drew her knife up again. _

_ Marcus looked at her. His side was killing him. "Don't," he whispered. _

_ "Are you begging for mercy?" _

_ Marcus didn't answer. _

_ "Well, I don't give anyone mercy." _

_ Marcus braced himself. _

_ "Time to die." She situated the knife inside his stomach. _

_ This time, he let out a cry in angst and let darkness come over him like a runaway train. _

"_Leave him," Bellatrix said as she turned to leave. "He'll be dead within a few hours." _

Katie woke up and looked around the room. She had thought that these dreams were over, but she guessed not.

Marcus was walking in the front door. "Are you okay?"

Katie pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. "Yeah."

Marcus frowned. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He came over and sat down next to her.

Katie nodded. "I'm fine, really."

Marcus was still eyeing her, but he didn't say a word.

Katie knew that she should tell him what she was seeing, but she couldn't bring herself to. How do you tell someone that you are getting death visions of them? She knew that if the situation was reversed that he wouldn't tell her. Knowing him, he would send her far away to avoid her fate.

Katie laid down on Marcus's lap. "Just be careful," she whispered.

Marcus stroked her hair. "I always am."

Katie sighed under his gentle touch. "No, I mean really be careful."

Marcus said something, but she didn't catch it. She couldn't lose him; she loved him too much.

Emily's cries filled the room.

Katie started to get up, but Marcus stopped her. "You rest, I'll go," he said.

Katie watched him disappear. She only hoped that he would not disappear forever.

A few minutes later, Marcus appeared with Emily in his arms. She had stopped crying, but was eyeing Marcus. Whenever she saw Katie, her blue eyes lit up.

Marcus handed Emily to Katie. "I don't know what she wants."

Katie looked down at Emily, who seemed fine now. "I don't know. I really don't have this who parenting thing figured out."

Marcus sat down. "Does anyone have this parenting thing figured out?"

Katie laughed. "Our parents always made it look so easy." She shook her head. "Maybe they were just faking it."

Katie sighed. They just needed to keep their direction and go along with wherever this game was going to take them.

Marcus pulled something out his pocket. "Natalia's dead."

Katie gripped his hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered, even though she wasn't. She really didn't like the idea of him being around her all the time. She was fine with Tonks, but there was just something about Natalia; something that made Katie feel threatened, even though she knew that Marcus would never made a move on Natalia. However, Natalia had been very worried about Marcus.

Marcus just nodded. Katie noted that he didn't seem all that upset about it. "I found this on her body."

Katie shifted Emily around and took the paper from him. "The end of it all is near. Be careful as the path isn't always clear. Marcus-," she read. She looked up at Marcus. "Is that all?"

Marcus nodded.

Katie frowned. Natalia had known that something was going to happen to Marcus. It had been enough that she had paid a visit to Katie.

"I don't know what it means," Marcus muttered.

"Marcus, I think I need to tell you something," Katie started in. "I just have a feeling that something is going to happen to you. I've been having dreams of you dying."

Marcus looked at her and didn't say a word.

"Then, Natalia came to see me and told me that she was concerned. Your mother also suspects that something is up."

Marcus sat in silence for a few minutes. Katie was worried that he was going to flip out. "My mother knows about this?"

Katie nodded. "We all are just worried."

"I can't quit or they will kill me."

"I know."

Marcus sighed. "There's just no getting out."

Katie was happy that he believed her. "I know, but you do need to stay under the radar. Let them know you are there, but don't get in too deep."

Marcus nodded. "I'm not in that deep anyway. I don't get sent out anywhere."

"Yeah, but you're in enough to get to go to the meetings."  
>"I guess you are right."<p>

Katie nudged him. "You know I am."

Marcus laughed. Emily gave him a look.

"Keep in mind that I am always right and this will be an easy marriage for you," Katie said.

Marcus didn't respond for a little bit. "But, what if you are wrong?"

"Then, don't tell me about it, but I will make sure you know if you are wrong."

Marcus snorted. "I kind of figured you would."

Katie looked at him. He was strong and put up the front that he wasn't afraid of anything, but she knew otherwise. If he wasn't afraid, then he would not have suggested that she should leave the country. Even though he hadn't come right out and said it, Katie knew that was what he wanted her to do, but she wasn't one to run away from a fight. If he was going to stay here and fight, then she was going to fight alongside.

Marcus offered his finger to Emily, who wrapped her little hand around it. "What?" he asked when he caught Katie looking at him.

"She likes you," Katie said.

Marcus just smiled.

"That will make your life a lot easier."

Marcus just nodded.

Katie eyed him. "Marcus, just be careful."

"You've already said that more than once," Marcus sighed.

"I know, but you do need to be careful." She paused. " Cedric Diggory was careful and look where that got him."

When Marcus didn't answer, Katie knew that she had hit a nerve. It was rather low to bring up someone dying, but she wanted to make a point. She wanted him to step up and become a leader. Sure, he was a leader in his own sense, but whenever it came to the Order and this spy business, he didn't. However, she knew that he wasn't influenced completely by them. She knew that didn't tell the Order every little detail.

He was just like those born in the year of the rat.

Katie took the sleeping Emily from his arms. "Why don't I put her back to bed and we have a little fun ourselves?"

Marcus smirked over at her. "How did we go from talking about dying to this?"

Katie shrugged. "We are not done with that talk, yet. You will listen to me or you will be sorry."

"Why are women like this?" Marcus asked as he pinched his temples.

"Like what?"

"So, discreet in their motives."  
>Katie eyed him. "I'm not being discreet."<p>

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, are you. You have been dancing around telling me about your dreams for months."  
>Katie held Emily close to her. "I have not."<br>Marcus got to his feet. "Yeah, you have. It's been in your expressions. You're like an open book."  
>Katie walked down the hall. She had forgotten about how well Marcus was at reading people.<p>

**So, this isn't going like I planned. Oh, well. Before I forget this fanfiction will be the last in "The Heart of Everything" series. I did think about doing a fourth one, but then decided that three was a good number to go out on. Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 18: Sceneries of Hope

Chapter Eighteen: Sceneries of Hope

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus looked over at Katie's sleeping form. She was his angel, one of his sceneries of hope. He put his arm over his eyes. He wanted to protect her, but also knew that Katie didn't need to be protected.

He watched her roll over in her sleep. He simply couldn't imagine watching someone die in over and over in his dreams. He knew that he couldn't do it, let alone tell the person what he had seen. Yet, he understood why Katie kept it a secret from him.

"Marcus," Katie muttered sleepy. "I know you're awake because I can feel you watching me."

Marcus removed his arm from his eyes. "I'm not watching you."

Katie climbed on top of him and smirked down at him. "Yes, you are."

Marcus patted Katie's leg. "Prove it."  
>Katie bent down and pressed her lips against his. "I don't need too because I'm right and you know it."<p>

Marcus returned the kiss. "And what if I'm right?"

Katie slid her hands up under his shirt. "Then, don't tell me about it."

Marcus started to say something, but Katie silenced him with a kiss.

The next morning, Marcus woke up to the sound of someone banging on the front door. He and Katie exchanged looks. Without saying a word, they both climbed out of bed and crept down stairs.

"Take your wand out," Katie whispered.

Marcus nodded and turned to tell her to do the same thing, but saw she had already done so. As they approached the door, the knocking grew louder.

"Why didn't the alarms go off?" Katie asked.

Marcus shrugged. Come to think of it, it didn't go off when Emily arrived. They needed to look into that.

Slowly, Katie pulled back the curtain of the window next to door.

"Katie," Marcus hissed.

Katie dropped the curtain. "It's your parents."

Marcus opened the door.

"Aren't you going to ask us?" Jasmine asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down.

"Ask you what?" Marcus said as he put his wand in his pocket.

"The question and don't put your wand away."  
>Brad gave Marcus a small smile.<p>

"Fine," Marcus muttered. "What is your most prized possession beside your family?"

"The doll my grandmother made for me when I was two," Jasmine said.

Marcus nodded and let his parents step in.

Jasmine looked around. "Where's Emily?"

"In bed," Katie said.

Jasmine nodded.

Marcus was frowning. He really didn't see why his parents were here. They only came to his house when they wanted something or when they had bad news.

Brad nodded toward the dining room. "Why don't we go and sit down?"

Marcus and Katie follow Brad and Jasmine into the dining room, both of them exchanging confused looks.

"We took care of Natalia's body," Brad said once they were all seated around the large table. "I understand that you and Tonks took a few things from her apartment."

Marcus nodded. "It was just a small piece of paper."

"What was it about?" Brad asked.

"I really didn't understand it. Natalia always was very strange about her stuff."

Brad eyed Marcus, but didn't ask to see it. Marcus was thankful for that; he wasn't in the mood to explain the whole death bits to his parents, well just his father considering Jasmine was already in the loop.

"All things considered, we need to get the rest of the Natalia's belongings out of the apartment before the Death Eaters raid it," Jasmine said.

"I thought the Death Eaters killed Natalia," Marcus said with a frown on his face.

"We don't know for sure that they did," Jasmine stated. "Someone like Natalia must have had a lot of enemies."

"Yeah, she probably did, but she never said anything about it to me." Marcus sighed.

"Anyway, we just need to get that stuff out of there," Brad said. "It's just too dangerous to leave it in there."

"When?" Katie asked.

"The sooner the better," Jasmine said.

Katie looked at Marcus. Marcus could see in her eyes that she really wanted to go. "We could take Emily to my parents. They want to spend as much time with her as possible before," Katie paused and gulped. "Before they leave."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, that would work."  
>Jasmine smiled at Katie. "It's nice to have another woman along. It's hard to be surrounded by men all the time."<br>Brad and Marcus looked at each other. Marcus found it hard to be around women all the time.

Jasmine got her feet. "Let's get going then."  
>Katie pulled Marcus to his feet and lead him to Emily's room. Once inside the room, Katie shut the door behind them.<p>

"Are you okay with me going?" Katie asked as she shoved some of Emily's things into a bag.

Marcus leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Katie shrugged. "You were just being quite."  
>Marcus went over to Katie and kissed her. "I am fine with you going." He paused. "Are you okay with me going?"<br>"Of course," Katie muttered. Marcus noticed that she didn't look him in the eye.

"Katie, I'll be careful," Marcus reassured her.

"I know you will, but bad things usually happen to good people."  
>Marcus knew that she made a good point. Bad things never did seem to happen to bad people.<p>

Without saying a word, Katie picked Emily up and handed her to Marcus. However, Katie's eyes were quiet loud. He knew that she would stand beside him no matter what, but he also knew that if she didn't like something that he was going to hear about it.

They made their way out to Marcus's parents.

Jasmine took Emily from Marcus and held her like an expert. "She looks so much like Katie," Jasmine said. "Is she sleeping through the night?"  
>Katei nodded. "She's almost a year now."<br>"That's good." Jasmine rocked Emily. "The boys never wanted to sleep through the night, but I didn't have any trouble with Haley."

Katie smiled. "It's always the boys."

Jasmine laughed. "That is very true."

Marcus frowned. He didn't see anything wrong with his gender.

Jasmine handed Emily back to Marcus. "Why don't you two go drop her off and we'll meet you there?"

"Sounds good," Katie said as she took Marcus's hand and pulled him out.

After dropping Emily off, Marcus and Katie joined Brad and Jasmine outside Natalia's shop. Although it was always dark, there was a much darker tone to it now. It felt as if all of the hope in the world was gone.

Jasmine pushed open the door and motioned for everyone to step inside. "Lit your wands, but keep the light as hidden as possible."

Marcus took his out and did as he was told.

Jasmine looked back at Marcus. "Does she has a safe?"

"I don't know," Marcus said. "I've never seen one."

Jasmine nodded. "Take anything that looks important." She handed everyone a bag.  
>Marcus knelt down next to Katie and started shifting through papers.<p>

"This is just about as much fun as our honeymoon," Katie muttered.

"Come on, I wasn't that bad," Marcus shot back.

Katie didn't answer and just shoved some papers into her bag.

Marcus frowned. "It wasn't that bad was it?"

Katie smiled. "No, but it's not like I have anything to compare it too."

Marcus frowned. Did he just get insulted?

They spent the next couple of minutes in silence.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Marcus asked.

Katie just shrugged.

Marcus shoved some papers into the bag. He wondered if they were even talking about the same thing? Knowing Katie, she was talking about the food they ate or the site seeing they did.

Katie patted him on the shoulder. "Don't feel bad. I'll always forgive you."  
>Marcus snorted.<p>

"Marcus, snorting does not sound like you are looking for information," Jasmine called.

Marcus rolled his eyes. Why did everyone seem to gang up on him?

"Marcus, this has your name on it," Katie whispered. She had a box gripped tight in her right hand.

Marcus frowned. "My name is pretty common."  
>Katie shook her head. "No, it has your first, middle, and last on it."<br>Marcus took the box from Katie. The last box he had seen like this was the chest that contained the directions for Fairyland.

Marcus and Katie looked at each other.

"Can you open it?" Katie whispered. She kept shooting nervous looks at Brad and Jasmine.

Marcus tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He pulled out his wand and tapped it, still nothing happened.

Katie held her hand out. "Let me try."

Marcus handed the box over to her.

"Natalia must have kept something good in here," Katie grunted as she attempted to open it.

Marcus watched her. "Or it's cursed."

Katie shot him a dirty look. "Don't even say something like that."  
>The box started to creek and groan. Marcus hoped that was a sign that is was starting to give a little. Freedom, they needed just a little bit of freedom.<p>

"What are you two doing?" Jasmine called.

Marcus and Katie didn't answer.

Katie pulled harder on the box. Marcus winced as he heard the box cracking, but didn't say anything. He wanted to know what was in it.

Marcus heard movement behind him. He looked up and saw that his parents were standing behind him.

"What do you have here?" Jasmine asked as she knelt down next to them.

"A box that won't open," Katie muttered as she pulled harder. More grinding filled the room.

Jasmine looked at Marcus. "What kind of man are you making your woman do all of the heavy work?"  
>"She's made more progress than I did," Marcus stated.<p>

"That's the first time I ever heard you say something like that aloud," Brad said.

"It happens," Marcus muttered.

Katie was pulling on the box with all of her might. Marcus could see that one final tug and she would probably have it. He hoped that she managed to get it open.

Katie gave one final grunt and the lid and box separated. With a small cry, she fell back onto Marcus's lap. Right before their eyes, a bright scene unfolded.

_ She was so prefect. He was so angelic. They belonged together in an eternal unity of light. No darkness surrounded them; blackness never entered their souls. Both souls were pure. _

_ Tests have proven that they were meant to be together. The stars all line up for them. There was no death star in the sky. Therefore, nothing can rip them apart. _

_ They unite against the forces of darkness. Light outshines darkness. It is through lightness that causes the forces to disappear. It is the power of the angels that cause the devils to run. _

_ Never get jealous or mad at others. They are so good, so gentle. No matter how the ones close hurt them, they forgive and forget. This includes those who don't deserve it. _

_ They stare into each other's eyes. They don't look at anyone else expect for each other. _

_ "My kind, gentle Lady," he whispers, "may I have this dance?" _

_ The Light Princess smiles. "Good sir, there's no music." _

_ The Light Prince placed his forehead against hers. "You are the music. I can feel it in my soul." _

_ The Light Princess and Light Prince joined hand._

_As they joined hands, the forces of good united. _

_As they joined hands, all the darkness was gone from their circle. _

_As they danced, the fire shone on the faces of the other lords and ladies. All the evil was gone from their souls. Goodness was all that existed. _

_Together, their hearts beat as one. _

_Together, everything was all right, even if they were no longer in charge of the circle. It was still theirs, it always would be. _

_Together, the possibilities were endless. _

Marcus found himself being pulled back into the world with a shock. "What was that?"

Katie was gathering the box back up. "Natalia gave us something, sceneries of hope."

Marcus blinked. Who knew that Natalia would offer than something good, something gave them the hope that light would soon take their path and give them their freedom back.


	20. Chapter 19: Ashes and Dreams

Chapter Nineteen: Ashes and Dreams

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie blinked as her world returned to normal. What the hell had they just seen? She wasn't saying that it was anything bad, but she didn't fully understand why Natalia would take the time or the energy to show them someone like that.

She brushed the ashes off her skin and clothes as she climbed to feet. Jasmine, Brad, and Marcus were slowly getting to their own feet.

Why would Natalia off them dreams of better days? She knew that it was very easy to get down during darks times like these.

Marcus bent down and picked up the box. "A box of dreams."

Katie frowned. "So, it's a box that shows what we all dream of."

Jasmine took the box from her son. "It looks like, but I don't understand why we all saw the same thing."

Katie looked at the box. "Unless, we all really long for the end of the war and a chance to live."

Marcus smiled at her. "That was pretty deep."

Katie smiled. She found it strange that they all did dream of the same thing. She did want to go back to a normal life and be loved. She already knew that she was loved, but she wanted to be loved without hurting those closest to her. She wanted to love without fear.

"What do we do with it?" Marcus asked.

Jasmine looked at the box. "Even though it shows hope, it could be very dangerous. Too much of a good thing can do just as much harm as a bad thing."

Katie nodded. Jasmine did have a good point.

"So, do we just ignore it?" Marcus asked.

Jasmine shook her head. "No, we lock it up so no one can use it." She put it in her pocket. "Let's go check out the apartment.

Katie followed outside and up to the apartment. Just from her brief encounter with Natalia, Katie knew that Natalia had some strange ways, but a box of hope was something that was just way to out there.

Marcus eyed Katie was they entered the apartment. Katie could tell that he wanted to ask her something, but she hoped the look she gave him would keep his mouth shut.

Katie went to the other end of the apartment into a small closet, hoping that Marcus would keep his distance.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Marcus asked as he walked up behind her.

Mentally, Katie cursed. "No reason."

Marcus reached over top of her and pulled a box down. "There is always a reason."

Katie pushed aside some clothes. "I don't any idea what you are talking about."

Marcus gently grabbed her arm. "I think you know what I am."  
>Katie pulled away from him. "Well, earlier we were talking about two different things." She looked over at Brad and Jasmine. "I told you about the dreams and that is all there is."<p>

Marcus eyed her. "There is probably more that you're not telling me."

Katie rolled her eyes. Why didn't he just drop it? "You don't always tell me what you are thinking."

"Do you want to know what I am always thinking?"  
>Katie snorted. "No, your mind is probably a very scary place."<br>"I am the most sane person you know," Marcus shot back.

Katie just gave him a smile and patted his arm. "You just keep telling yourself that one."

"You know there's something more to that box than what we saw."

Katie sighed. Why did he have to keep coming back to this? "I know, but I just don't know what it is."

Marcus nodded. "How long have you been getting strange feelings about stuff?"

Without answering, Katie placed a cardboard box in his arms. Everyone deserved to have secrets. Plus, she really didn't know how to describe it either.

Marcus grunted slightly over the weight. "Katie?"  
>Katie rounded him. "That is for me to know. I'm allowed to keep secrets," she hissed as she walked away from him.<p>

She really didn't know why she was being so short with him. He hadn't done anything wrong and she knew he was just concerned about her. However, there was just something about the questions and information that he wanted that just kind of set her off.

Katie went into the small bathroom and sunk down onto the floor. Why did everything have to be so difficult? She didn't understand what was happening to her. One minute she was fine and the next she was flipping out on everyone.

She looked down at her hands. If this kept up, was she going to end up hurting the ones she loved instead of helping them? The way things were going that was a high possibility. She didn't want to hurt them; she needed them and she hoped they needed her.

Katie got to her feet and went back out to where the others were. They had all gathered in the living room.

"She seemed to be something like a pack rat," Brad was saying as he took some papers out of a box.

Marcus nodded. "I had no idea that she kept so much stuff."

Katie sat down next to Jasmine. "What do you mean?"

"There's something here for everything," Jasmine said. "It's just too much for us to go through."

"What do we do now, then?" Katie asked.

"We have to destroy it." Brad shook his head. "A lot of this can't help us, but it can help the Death Eaters. We simply cannot let it happen."

"How do you do that without making it look strange?" Katie inquired.

"Fire is a very common thing and no one would suspect a thing." Jasmine paused. "We'll just have to be smart about how we go about lighting this place up."  
>Katie did have to admit that setting something on fire did sound like a lot of fun, but she would never say a thing like that aloud.<p>

"I don't want to set it on fire, but it's our only option," Brad said.

Katie crossed her arms over her chest. "When?"

"I think that now is the perfect time," Jasmine said as she got to her feet. "The sooner we get this place to go up in ashes, the sooner we end the Death Eaters' dreams of taking over the world."

Katie nodded. She really didn't know how important this place actually was, but when Jasmine put it that way, it did make what they were doing sound good.

Marcus and Brad got to their feet. Katie could feel Marcus's eyes on her, but she didn't pay any attention to him. She thought that he just needed to chill.

"How do we do this?" Marcus asked.

"This is an old, wooden building," Jasmine said as she stuffed papers into the fireplace. "No one would suspect a thing if a spark from the wood stove sent the place up in a matter of seconds."  
>Katie noticed some wood next to the fireplace. She went over to it and started to hand the wood to Jasmine.<p>

Together the women built the fire. It didn't take much to get the flames going. Once it was blazing, Jasmine used the fire pokers to reach in and somehow got a small flame on each poker. Without saying a word, she handed everyone a poker.

"Be quick about setting them and getting out," Jasmine told everyone. "This place is going to go up quick."  
>Everyone nodded and went their way.<p>

Katie went into the bathroom and set her poker down inside the wooden cabinet, which quickly caught fire and smoke filled the room. Trying not to cough, she backed out into the hallway. Marcus was stepping out of the bedroom.

"Is is done?" Katie asked him.

Marcus nodded and pulled her toward the exit. "What about you?"

"The bathroom is on fire," Katie informed him as they followed Brad and Jasmine downstairs and out into the street.

Katie turned back to look at the building. She could see that smoke was starting to pour out of the windows. Flames had not yet reached the outside.

Marcus pulled on Katie's arm. "We can't stay here."  
>Katie took his hand and pulled him toward Diagon Alley. "Well, let's not mess around then."<p>

Once they reached Diagon Alley, Katie couldn't help but wonder if they were actually any safer here. The place was a ghost town; plus, the Death Eaters had taken over a lot of the businesses or burned them to the ground. The few people on the streets weren't looking anyone in the eye and were quickly walking, trying to get off the streets.

Brad and Jasmine were making their way toward the Leaky Cauldron. Marcus and Katie followed them in silence. Tom was the only person in the bar. He briefly looked up at them and looked back down. Katie thought that it was a sad day whenever Tom did not greet you.

They pushed out into Muggle London, where they got a few strange looks. It took Katie a couple minutes to realize that she was the only person not wearing robes. "Take those off," she whispered.

Marcus, Brad, and Jasmine all looked down at their clothes.

Katie grabbed Marcus's hand and pulled him into an alley. Brad and Jasmine followed. "Take them off."  
>Marcus smiled at her. Katie knew what he was thinking, but he didn't say a word as he shrugged his robes off. Katie put her hand on her hip as she looked at their jeans and long sleeves. "Much better."<br>"_Facile per te dirlo. Hai un cappotto invernale su_," Marcus muttered.

"What?" Katie asked as she lead them out back out onto the street.

"He said that it was easy for you to say because you have a winter coat out," Brad said.

Marcus shot his dad a look. "Thanks for that one."

Brad clapped Marcus on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I have your back."

"You never miss the chance to mess with your children," Jasmine mused. "Never, no matter how old they get, you can always embarrass them."

Katie smiled at them. No matter how bad Marcus's family fought with one another, they always seemed to have each other's back and would do anything to protect one another. Katie's family was also like that. When the smoke cleared and there was nothing but ashes, you could always dream of returning back home to your family.

As they walked through Muggle London, Katie put her hand into Marcus's. Even though they fought, they would always be there for each other. They were each other's family and they needed to be there for one another. No matter what happened, they could always depend on each other. Whenever one needed to be picked up, the other would do so.

Better days would come, but for now all they had was each other and Katie was better than okay with that. At least she hoped that better days were going to come. She didn't know if she could live forever in a dark world. Hopefully, light would come, but, for now, she would be happy with those she loved. They would be her light in this dark, dark world.

Katie gave Marcus's hand a squeeze. He looked at her and squeezed back with a smile. It was then that she knew that no matter happened that they were going to be okay and no Dark Lord was ever going to change that.


	21. Chapter 20: Afterlife

Chapter Twenty: Afterlife

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus closed his eyes. All around him the Death Eaters were talking about one thing or another. The meeting hadn't been called to order yet, so he didn't feel the need to pay attention to whatever they were talking about.

Adrian pulled out the seat next to Marcus and sat down. "So, how's married life treating you?"

"Nothing's changed really," Marcus said.

"Expect for the fact that you are officially off the market."

"What's that supposed to mean?"  
>"While you were dating, someone could hope that you and your girlfriend would break up, but, now, they don't have that option."<p>

Marcus stared at Adrian. He just wasn't making sense.

Adrian hid his face from Marcus. "Don't look at me, you're creeping me out."

Marcus rolled his eyes. He knew that Adrian was just trying to make him smile.

Adrian uncovered his face. "Really, how is it going?"

"Good."  
>"Just good?"<p>

Bellatrix entered the room and ended any chance that Marcus had of answering Adrian.

Bellatrix gave one look around the room and everyone fell silent. "The rounding up of Mudbloods has taken its toll on our numbers. We have other projects to accomplish and we all can't be on just one."

Marcus never realized that the Death Eaters were losing numbers. He looked around the table and noticed that there were more empty seats than normal. He needed to make sure that he told the Order this.

Bellatrix looked around the table. Her eyes stopped on Marcus and Adrian. "You two would be perfect for this job. It will give you the chance to will the Dark Lord's favour."

Marcus felt his heart skip a beat. What had he gotten himself into now?  
>"The Mudbloods seem have a problem with tight tongues," Bellatrix stated. "It is up to you to loosen those tongues up."<br>Marcus stared ahead. She wanted him to torture Muggles, something that he knew he couldn't do. The thought of torturing another human just made him feel sick. A quick look at Adrian confirmed that his friend was feeling the same way.

Bellatrix smiled at them. "This is the perfect chance to prove where your loyalties are." Marcus noticed that she shot him a look.

A couple of the other Death Eaters were giving them jealous looks. Marcus wanted to tell them that if they wanted his job, then they could have it, but he knew better.

Bellatrix stared Marcus and Adrian down. "Is that a problem for you two?"

Marcus and Adrian shook their heads.

Bellatrix nodded. "You start tomorrow."

After the meeting, Adrian caught up with Marcus. "So, what do you think?"

Marcus eyed his friend. "About what?"

"All of this." Adrian slid his hand into his pocket. "I thought I wanted to do this, but, now, I'm not so sure."

Marcus nodded. He wanted to say that he wasn't an actual Death Eater; he didn't even have the Mark, but that would be a long and complicated story.

Adrian cracked a small smile. "I suppose it's too late to get out now."

Marcus looked ahead. "I think it's too late for a lot of things."

Adrian nodded. "But what can we do?"

"Yeah, what can we?" Marcus echoed.

Adrian put his arm on Marcus's shoulder. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Marcus watched as Adrian disappeared.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do about this. The thought of torturing Muggles caused bile to build up in the back of his throat. This was a test and there was no way around it. Sighing Marcus put his hands in his pockets and started home. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one.

Katie looked up as Marcus entered the living room. Marcus knew that she had been waiting for him.

"Don't ask," Marcus muttered as he sat down next to her on the couch.

"What happened?" Katie's voice was filled with concern.

"I pretty much got ordered to torture Muggles." Marcus pinched his temples. "I don't think I can do this."

Katie put her hand on his shoulder. "But, they will kill you if they don't."

Marcus nodded. That much was true, but it still didn't help him with his problem. "But, how do I get out of it?"

Katie thought about it for a minute. "Could you fake it?"

Marcus looked at her. "Fake what?"

"Torturing them. Is anyone else going to be in the room?"

"Adrian."

"All the time?"

"I don't know."

"If he's not around that's what you can do."

Marcus sighed. "But, what if he is?"

Katie's face paled. "I hate to think about it."

Marcus nodded. He did too, but it was going to happen. He only hoped that he wouldn't know anyone who came through. A nameless face would be a little easier than a familiar one.

Katie put her hand on his leg. "It will be okay."

"How can you promise that?" Marcus whispered.

Katie kissed his lips. "I just can. You need to have a little faith."

Even though Katie was speaking the right words, Marcus could tell that she didn't believe them. He did have to give her credit for trying to make him feel better; it did work, even if it was only just a little.

Katie pulled him to his feet. "Come on, sleep always makes me feel better."

Well, Katie was wrong. Marcus did not feel any better the next morning. Sleeping on what he had to do only made him feel worse. Having a hot breakfast didn't help matters either. In a few short hours, he would be a Muggle torturer.

Maybe this was his destiny. Marcus didn't see how this was his destiny.

"I believe in you," Katie whispered as he prepared to step out the door.

Marcus gave her a small smile. He didn't know why she believed in him when he didn't even believe in himself.

A few minutes later, Marcus stood inside the Ministry. There was a reason he didn't take a Ministry job; he didn't like it here. Right now, the Ministry kind of reminded him of Diagon Alley. Everyone was walking with their heads down, just trying to safely get to where they were going. A few people shot him dirty looks.

Adrian joined Marcus a few seconds later. "Are you ready for this?"

Marcus watched as a couple of people walked around him, not getting more than three metres close to him.

Adrian sighed. "Me either."

Marcus started toward the lift. "Well, we don't have much of a choice in the matter."

Adrian frowned at Marcus. "What is your problem?"

"Nothing," Marcus muttered as he called up the lift.

The lift arrived a few minutes later. Marcus and Adrian rode it in silence. Marcus was rather relived that Adrian didn't talk. Silence made this task so much easier.

Yaxley looked up at them when they entered his office. "You're late. I do not tolerate lateness."

Marcus didn't blink. He didn't want to show weakness in front of Yaxley.

Yaxley handed Marcus and Adrian a thick packet of papers. "This is a list of all the Mudbloods. You start on the front page with those names highlighted in red. Don't stop with them until you get information out of them."

Marcus quickly scanned the list of names. There wasn't any that he recognized.

"Under any circumstance you don't stop. I don't care if they are close to dying. We'd be better off without them in our society anyway." Yaxley eyed them. "You two come from long lines of pureblood families, so you understand how important it is for us to cleanse the magical world."  
>Marcus and Adrian nodded slowly.<p>

Yaxley got to his feet. "I'll show you where to go. I do like to watch Mudbloods suffer."

Marcus felt his face pale. He didn't like the idea of this. Yaxley going with them screamed Bellatrix.

Yaxley led them back to the lift and to a level that was below the courtrooms. Marcus had never been down here nor did he know it existed. The Muggleborns inside the cages were giving them dirty looks as they pasted, but not one of them said a word.

"As you can see, they have tight tongues," Yaxley informed them.

Adrian was looking at the Muggleborns. "I can see that."  
>Yaxley led them to a small room at the end of the hall. "This is where you will be."<p>

The room was made of stone with shackles hanging from the top and bottom of the room. A small table on the front wall held various torture devices ranging from knifes to objects that Marcus had no idea what they were. A table, covered with chains, stood in the centre of the room. One thing that Marcus noticed was he couldn't hear anything from the outside. Was this room soundproof?

Yaxley ran his thumb over a knife's blade. "Isn't it beautiful?"  
>Marcus wasn't sure if beautiful was the right word for this.<p>

Adrian looked at the torture devices. "What happened to just using wands?"  
>Yaxley smiled. "I find it more fun to torture Mudbloods with their devices. It allows them to see how awful their race really is."<br>Marcus frowned. That did not make any sense to him.

Yaxley opened the door and nodded to the guard.

Marcus and Adrian exchanged looks.

A few minutes later, the guard came back with a young Muggle man. The young man was shaking and muttering something under his breath. His pale was pale and his eyes were wide open. Marcus felt sorry for him.

The guard strapped the young man to the table.

Yaxley picked up a knife and took out his wand. "Now, I'm only going to show you this once." He smiled. "Besides, I don't want you to have all the fun."

The young man struggled as Yaxley approached him. "I will never tell you anything," the young man hissed.

Yaxley smiled. "Oh, I think you will."

The young man spat at Marcus. "You guys are fighting a losing fight!"  
>Yaxley stepped over the young man. "Oh, are we now? From my view, it looks like you are the one who is losing."<br>The young man started to say something, but ended up screaming as Yaxley stabbed him the stomach with a knife.

"I told you were losing," Yaxley said as the young man started to believe.

Even though the young man had a brave expression on his face, Marcus could see the fear in his eyes. The blood was starting to drip onto the floor with a sickening thud.

Yaxley was calmly cleaning off his off. "Now, we are going to try this again."

The young man was trying not to whimper. "I don't know anything."

"You are a Mudblood, so you must know how your kind snuck into our world," Yaxley said. "Now, how did you do it?"

The young man opened his mouth, then closed it. "I-I sw-swea-swear I-I d-did-didn't..."  
>Yaxley pulled his wand at the young man and a few seconds later the young man's screams filled the room. "Speak so I can understand you!"<br>Marcus couldn't stand this, but he wasn't sure what he should do. To intervene would cost them both of their lives.

Yaxley raised his knife and buried it in the young man's chest.

The young man glanced up at Yaxley. "I'll see you in the afterlife, then I'll kill you."

And he died.

With a smile on his face, Yaxley shook his head. "We'll see about that one."


	22. Chapter 21: Arctica

Chapter Twenty-One: Arctica

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Katie's Vision_

Katie woke to the sounds of Emily crying. She reached over and kicked Marcus hard in the kidney. There was no sense in her getting up by herself when he was perfectly able to do so as well.

Marcus woke up with a groan. "Was that necessary?"

Katie was already out of bed. "Yes, come on."

Marcus looked over at the clock. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Time for you to help your wife check on the baby." Katie grabbed his arm. "Come on, just think the sooner you get up the sooner you can go back to bed."

Marcus buried his face in his pillow for a few seconds, but, then, got out of bed.

Katie went into Emily's room. Emily was on her back in her bed with tears spilling down her face. Often times Katie wondered what made the small child cry. Was it because she simply couldn't sleep or was it because she missed her parents? Did Emily even know the difference?

Katie picked Emily up and held her close. "Maybe we should take her into our room."  
>Marcus was standing in the doorway with a sleepy expression on his face. "Do you think it will stop the crying?"<p>

Katie looked down at Emily, who was smiling up at Katie. "She could have your half if you don't get over here."  
>Marcus muttered something under breath, but he did come over to Katie.<p>

"She needs to know who you are too." Katie handed Emily to him. "Raising a child isn't a one person job."  
>Marcus didn't answer as Katie set to work gathering some of Emily's favourite things up. Katie didn't say that it would make her feel better if Emily was in their room. She didn't like the idea of them all being so far away from each other. What if something bad happened?<br>"Okay, we can go back to bed," Katie said once she had everything gathered up.

Katie led the way back to the master bedroom. Marcus laid Emily in the middle of the bed and laid down to the right of her. Katie smiled at them in bed beside each other; it was rather cute.

Katie slid into the left side. "See, isn't this better?"

"Yeah, sure," Marcus muttered.

Katie looked over at Emily until they both fell asleep and everything felt right.

Katie awoke the next morning and found herself alone in bed. She sat up and looked around wondering where the other two had gotten too. "Marcus?"

No answer. Frowning, Katie climbed out of bed and left the room. She peered down over the balcony and into the living room. "Marcus?"

"Yeah?" Marcus's dark head appeared from the kitchen.

Relief raced over Katie. "Where's Emily?"

"In here."  
>Katie nodded. "I'll be down in a few minutes."<p>

Marcus saluted her with a spoon before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Katie smiled and turned to the stairs. Just as she was about to head down the stairs, a world of darkness covered her. She just had enough time to grip the railing before it over took her.

_ Marcus stared at the dungeon wall. He was chained against a wall. His arms were raised above him. He was bare was the waist up. There were a dozen or so other men in this situation. _

_ He banged his head against the wall. Last night the Ministry had taken away all of his belongings that he had with him. He wasn't worried about anything expect for one: his wand. He'd kill to have it back. _

_ Marcus watched as four Death Eaters push in a man and put him back up against the wall. He knew what was coming next. The Death Eaters walked over to him and unchained him. _

_ He landed on the floor with a crash. One of the Death Eaters kicked him in the stomach. It hurt and he cursed._

_ "On your feet, boy," the Death Eater commended. _

_ Marcus wanted to say something but he didn't dare. He got on his feet, allowed them to put him in chains, and shove him out the room. _

_ He was shoved in front on a tub on water. Malfoy walked over into the room and stood behind Marcus. Both of them stared at each other. _

_ A middle aged Death Eater stood in front of Marcus. "Now, all you have to do is answer our questions and you won't get hurt. Failure to do so, you will get hurt. Understand?" _

_ Marcus didn't move. He __really __didn't want to do this. _

_ "Name?" the Death Eater demanded. _

_ Before Marcus could answer, he was under water. _

_ Two hours later Marcus was back against the wall. He couldn't catch his breath. Water filled his lungs. It took all he had in him to cough it up. However, he had somehow kept his mouth shut and didn't tell the Death Eaters everything. But he had paid dearly for it. _

_ At least he didn't tell them about Arctica. _

"Katie, do you want anything to eat?" Marcus's voice called from the foot of the stairs.

Katie regained herself, slightly thanks the gods that he couldn't see her around the turn. "Are you cooking?"

"Maybe," Marcus answered. "You didn't answer my question."

Katie started down the stairs and was soon face to face with him. "I don't trust your cooking."

Marcus snorted. "You haven't seen nothing yet."

Katie kissed his lips. "Yeah, right."

Marcus started back toward the kitchen.

It was now or never. "Hey, what's Arctica?"

Marcus froze.

"Besides, the ancient continent that broke up over a billion years ago." Katie stopped speaking for a minute. "Unless, you're here to tell me that it didn't."

"Maybe," Marcus muttered.

Katie grabbed his arm. "Then, what happened to it? There's no way there's a hidden continent out there somewhere."

"It's not hidden, you just wouldn't know where to find it unless you what you are looking for."

By now, they were in the kitchen.

Katie looked around at the mess. She hoped that Marcus knew he was going to have to clean it up.

Marcus handed Katie a stack of pancakes. "It's not really talked about because wizards don't like to admit that they were wrong." He took a bite of pancakes. "Basically, it was one big Herbology area where wizards grew plants with healing powers stronger than anything we have right now."

Katie frowned. "How do you know this?"

"It was in one of my Healing books." Marcus offered Emily a bite of pancakes. "I have more than cells in my brain."

"I can see that," Katie muttered. "Don't give her a lot of that."

Marcus just smiled.

"So, what happened to Arctica?" Katie said.

"That's the thing, no one really knows. It just sort of disappeared." He paused. "It's kind of a shame because there was plants there that could pretty much heal anything, maybe even death, but we don't know that."

Katie had to admit it did sound pretty cool. She really did want to know happened. "So, no one knows what went wrong? There's no records or anything?"  
>Marcus shook his head. "It happened about the time Hogwarts was founded, so a lot of people wonder if one of the Founders didn't run it and when they left to work at Hogwarts, it just kind of died out."<p>

"But would think that they would have told someone or left a record?" Katie asked.

"You would think. There was a whole chapter about it in my medical history book, so they had to get that information for somewhere."

Katie took a big bite of pancake. "You know what I've noticed about the wizard's world?"

Marcus looked at her. "What?"

"There is more unknown than known."

"Isn't that the same with any world?"  
>"Yeah, but you would think being magical, you would know more." Katie smirked over at her. "You guys just discovered technology about ten years ago and the Muggles have had it for years."<p>

"We like to stick to the old ways," Marcus said.

"No kidding and that is why whenever you get into the Muggle world, you have no idea what is going on."

"Muggles don't either," Marcus pointed out.

"I know, but they are willing to learn and most wizards aren't. You were only in Muggle Studies because you had to be, not because you wanted to learn about the Muggle world."

Marcus pointed his fork at her. "Maybe I did want to learn."

Katie pointed her own fork at him. "I don't think so, mister. You were only there because your attendance was bad and you didn't want to repeat a year."

"It wasn't my fault that I missed so much school. I didn't skip on purpose."

Katie had to give him that much. He had missed a lot of school due to injury. "I think you're just accident prone."

"I haven't been in the hospital that much since I started playing for the Falcons. Besides, your House always gave me concussions."

Katie shrugged. "It would not have happened had you not kept scoring."

Marcus just took a bite of pancake and didn't answer.

Katie smiled at him. She really wanted to know more about Arctica, but didn't want to give him the pleasure of being her information source. Plus, if she ended up knowing more about Arctica than he did, she would get bragging rights.

Marcus was watching her. "What are you thinking about?"

Katie tapped his arm. "You don't get to know everything."

Marcus frowned. "Why not?"

"Because it doesn't work that way." Katie sat her plate in the sink. "Now, clean up this mess."

Katie went into the library. As far as she knew, Marcus kept all of his medical books in here besides the few random ones he left lying around the house. She had a feeling that a medical history book wasn't one he would be reading all the time.

She looked up at the shelves knowing it was going to be a difficult task to find the book. Marcus had no organizational skills when it came to putting things away, his wets towels being another.

Her eyes raced across the shelves. It had be around here somewhere. She climbed onto a stool; knowing Marcus, he probably put it somewhere close to his height.

"_Forgotten Methods of Healing: The Lost Lands of the Worlds."_ Katie smiled and pulled the book out. She plopped on the floor and flipped the index. She found the chapter on Arctica and flipped to it.

_"Arctica was an ancient continent that formed over two billion years ago made up of the Canadian and Siberian shields. Today it is what all worlds know as the North Pole. Muggles believe that the continent broke away about one billion years ago. However, ancient witches and wizards are responsible for the disappearance of the landmass. Due to its vast ability to home rare herbs, ancient witches and wizards thought it would be best to hide it before the world could abuse it's amazing powers. The last known record of Arctica is over a thousand years old. Many have tried to find Arctica, but none have been successful. It is said that you have to have pure intentions to help those in need and there must be no personal gain involved." _

Katie flipped through the rest of the chapter. Was it possible that Arctica was still out there? She frowned. What could have went so wrong that wizards wanted to hid it?

The last sentence of the chapter caught Katie's attention. "_Arctica is believed to the only home of the never ending flower, Amaranth. Amaranth is known for its vast healing powers. For more on Amaranth today see chapter fifty." _

**Don't forget about this chapter. You'll see why later...**


	23. Chapter 22: Don't Say A Word

Chapter Twenty-Two: Don't Say a Word

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

"Marcus," Kingsley snapped at him.

Marcus jerked his head up. He had been spending the last hour or so trying to figure out how to get out torturing Muggles. He didn't want to say anything to Kingsley in case Kingsley thought that Marcus wasn't capable of going through with it. "What?'

"Have you been paying one bit of attention to one word I've said?'

Marcus looked at Kingsley. "Yeah, sure."

Kinsley gave Marcus a hard look. "I want you and Tonks to go to the north. The rest of us will cover everything else. All you have to do is make sure that no one escapes that way."

Tonks gave Marcus a small smile. Marcus wondered why he was always paired with Tonks. He wondered if it had something to do with Tonks causing so many accidents.

"Katie, you will lead the team here. We need someone with brains in charge," Kinsley went on.

North, Marcus just had to remember north.

The Order was going after Death Eaters. They were getting ready to attack a place that was believed to be a hiding place. They had questioned Marcus for hours about this place. The only problem was that Marcus really wasn't sure about this supposed hiding place. The Death Eaters had been oddly quiet around him for a few weeks.

Remus looked at the map on table. "We really shouldn't be doing this. There is just too much that we don't know."

Brad nodded. "But think about all that we do know."

Katie reached over and took Marcus's hand into hers.

"You said the attack's not going to happen for a couple of weeks right?" Jasmine asked.

Kingsley nodded. "We still need to be ready."

"I know, but we still have time to gather more facts."

"Yes."

Jasmine looked around the room. "So, if no one outside this room says a word. In other words, what was discussed here today doesn't get talked about outside this room, including amongst ourselves and other Order members. I think if we just sit back and watch, the answers will come to us." She looked directly at Marcus.

Everyone in the room nodded.

Mentally Marcus swore. Why did he always get stuck doing the dirty work? The Order always put him on these jobs, but then yelled at him if he didn't get enough information. If the Order wanted more information, Marcus thought that they could go get it themselves.

"That settles that," Jasmine said.

"It still doesn't really solve our problem," Remus pointed out. "The Dark Side still is rounding up Muggles."

"The Muggles are below the Ministry," Marcus said.

Remus nodded. "We know that, but how do we get them out?"

Jasmine studied the map. "We could always attack the hiding location and the Ministry at the same time. It would divide their forces."

"But how do we know that?" Brad asked.

Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. "How do we know anything? How did we know that sending Haley away was the best thing for her?"  
>Brad didn't answer.<p>

"We just have to be willing to take a chance. It's a big risk, but the payoff is even bigger."

Marcus slid his gloves over his hands. He didn't know why he was wearing gloves in the first place. Maybe it was the idea of having barrier between him and the Muggles made him feel better. It made it seem like the blood literally wasn't on his hands.

He supposed that he could always get lucky and not have to do this.

Adrian was waiting for him in the room. "You know, I've been thinking."

Marcus looked over at his long time friend. "That's a scary thought."

Adrian snorted. "After this is all over, I think I'm going to move to an island and live by the ocean."

"Great Britain is an island," Marcus pointed out.

"You know what I mean."

Marcus looked at the list that Yaxley had left for them. Nothing overly unpleasant wasn't jumping out at him. It looked more like guard duty than anything, which he could live with.

Adrian took the list from Marcus. "I don't think he trusts us."

"Who?" Marcus asked.

Adrian looked around the room. "Yaxley and some of the others," he said in low voice. "They seem to think that we're up to something."

Marcus felt his Adam's apple bob. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but I'm just getting the feeling that they do. They seen to shut up whenever I step into the room and I've noticed Yaxley looking at you whenever you talk."  
>"Nobody trusts anyone anymore."<br>"Yeah, but this is strange. Six months ago, everything was fine and now this is happening."

Marcus took the list from Adrian and pretended to be rereading it. Did the Death Eaters suspect that something was up? Marcus really hadn't had any new information for the Order for a couple of weeks, but that didn't mean anything. The Death Eaters always seemed to know if something was up.

Adrian sighed. "Don't you think it's odd?"  
>Marcus shrugged. "I don't know what to think."<p>

"I guess something went down in Knockturn Alley a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure what it was, but it sounded like a big deal." Adrian paused. "Did you hear anything about that?"  
>Marcus shook his head, figuring it was better than saying a word.<p>

"They mentioned your parents."  
>Marcus's head darted up. "What about them?" His voice came out harsher than intended. He really needed to learn to control that.<p>

If Adrian noticed the change in Marcus's voice, he didn't comment on it. "Just that they thought your parents were tied into it somehow."

Marcus picked up a knife and ran if along his thumb. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to ask if the Death Eaters just mentioned his parents or if he was involved somehow. Adrian was pretty good at reading between the lines.

"Do you really talk to your parents anymore? You moved right after Hogwarts. I know they were at your wedding and all, but when was the last time you actually talked them?" Adrian asked.

Marcus looked slowly up at Adrian. He knew that Adrian was asking these questions for a reason. "No."

Adrian nodded. "That's what I thought, but Draco seemed to think otherwise. He said you were with your dad and mum coming out of Diagon Alley a few weeks ago."

Marcus briefly froze. He didn't remember seeing Draco around, maybe he needed to look a little better. "Why are you listening to Draco anyway?"

Adrian shrugged. "I'm not really."

"Well, you shouldn't be."

Adrian eyed Marcus. "By the way, whose the other blond you've been hanging out with? I heard through the grapvine that you have another woman in your life. Married and you still got it." He was looking at the various devices of torture on the table in front of him.

Marcus frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
>"Someone said that they saw you a couple of times with someone who wasn't Katie," Adrian said off handily.<p>

Marcus thought about it. Did Adrian mean Tonks? Just how many were watching him? "I haven't been with anyone else."

Adrian pointed a knife at Marcus. "That's what I thought."

"Could you put the knife down?"

"Sorry." Adrian sat the knife back down on the table. "No offence, but a lot of people look like you."  
>Marcus just nodded. One thing he knew for certain now was he needed to be careful. People were always watching and they would not hesitant to give him away.<p>

"Well, we'd better make a round before Yaxley has our heads." Adrian started toward the door.

Marcus watched his friend step out. Could he really trust someone who had been his friend for most of his life?

Adrian turned and looked at Marcus. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah." Marcus walked out of the room.

Marcus looked at the Muggles, who like always weren't saying a word. They just looked him; their eyes proud and their expressions empty. He knew that none of them would talk easily and he was not looking forward to getting the answers out of them. Really, Marcus didn't think the Muggles had any information of value for the Death Eaters and believed that the Death Eaters just wanted to torture someone.

Adrian gave a few cocky looking Muggles a dirty look, but nothing happened.

Marcus and Adrian stood in the doorway.

"We can't let them get to us," Adrian said as he looked at the cages. "They have to learn that we are in charge."

Marcus just nodded and wondered what happened to Adrian not wanting to do this. Did people really change that quickly?  
>Adrian had his arms crossed over his chest. "We are the face of the new world and we must do whatever possible to achieve that world, no matter what."<p>

Marcus didn't answer.

Adrian uncrossed his arms and hit Marcus on the back. "Well, enough of that. We'd better make it look like we are actually something instead of randomly standing here."

Marcus watched Adrian disappear into the back room. It never ceased to amaze him how people could change so quickly. It was as if morals didn't even matter anymore and that people were just trying to get by. It was probably true for most cases.

As Marcus disappeared into the back room, he thought he heard someone whisper his name, but when he turned around, everything was calm and the same as before.

The lone figure stood on top of the hill. He looked down at the small town that stood at the bottom of the hill. The lights looked light tiny fireflies. The Muggles were safely in bed, clueless. They didn't know about battles of the future or what was to come.

"You just wait," the figure said. "There's a battle coming and you won't be ready for it. It's time to go back, back to where it all began."

The figure looked down at the town. Catching a spy was a difficult task, but he would not fail his master. Sometimes the best way to find out what someone was really up to was simply not saying a word and watching. The spy would give themselves away at some point. You just had to be patient.

And the lone figure disappeared.

**Once again, kind of a shorter chapter. This one was more of a set up chapter for what is to come. I know the last couple of chapters have been a little boring and dull, but I promise lots of action is to come, but it does take time to reach that point. **


	24. Chapter 23: Without Out

Chapter Twenty-Three: Without You

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the front door. She and Marcus were going to have a serious talk whenever he did manage to find his way home. She had warned him not to get to involved with the Death Eaters and this was what happened. Did he really not talk her words to heart?

She looked over at Emily, who was playing with a toy. If only Marcus was like Emily and Katie could keep him at home by her side.

The front door opened and Marcus stepped in. "We really need to something about those barriers. I think they're getting weaker."

Katie just nodded. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Marcus stopped in front of her. "Is there something that you know that I don't?"

"About Muggles and you."

Marcus's eyes darted around the room. "Um, how did you find out about that?"

"You're not the only one who talks to people."

Marcus didn't answer.

Katie frowned at him. "I told you what would happen."

"I know, but I can't exactly say no. They already suspect that something is up." His thick Irish-Italian accent was coming out. As much as Katie enjoyed an accent, his was very difficult to understand. Most of the time, he kept it hidden.

Katie nodded. She knew it was the truth. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm still working on that one," Marcus muttered.

"You can't blow your cover or they will not hesitant to kill you."

"You think I don't know that?" Marcus's voice got higher with each word.

Katie sighed. She knew he was scared, but she really didn't know what to tell him. She didn't want to lose him either and couldn't even think about her life without him. She knew that he felt the same way.

Marcus sat down on the coach. "They're getting inside of Adrian's head too. I didn't think they would be able to get through his thick head, but they did find a way."

Katie sat down beside him. "Just don't let them get in your head."  
>"I'll try not to."<p>

Katie gave Marcus a pointed look. "You better not."

"I won't."

Katie looked at Emily on the floor. She wished that she could be like Emily, living in the world without a care. Those days were long gone.

"What do think about the plan?" Marcus asked.

Katie sighed. "I think it's suicidal. There's just too many gaps for me to actually consider the plan. Even if we are correct, a lot of people are going to get hurt."

"I've never heard of this supposed hiding spot and that really makes me wonder." Marcus paused. "It could just be a way to draw the Order out and kill us all."

Katie nodded. He did have a good point. "How can we talk them out of it?"

"I don't think it would be hard to convince Mum to back out. She's already not wanting to go."

"Jenna thinks that getting out of the country is going to be more difficult than she thought. They're stuck in Northern Ireland. The Death Eaters are keeping tight tabs on everyone coming in and out of Great Britain and Ireland."

Marcus looked down at his feet. "What about going through France?"

"It's harder to get into Europe. Jenna and Dad looked into it, but it's too risky." Katie closed her eyes. "The Americas are currently the safest place in the world."

"It wasn't hard to get Haley out, but she's pureblood."

"Exactly. I kind of wish Harry would appear so we could know they were staying hidden so well. The Death Eaters always seem to find whoever they are looking for and Harry just seems to have stumped them."

"He's probably hiding right under their noses," Marcus pointed out. "No one's seen him since September."

"Unless, they're not talking."

Marcus and Katie looked at each other, thinking the same thing. Katie could not believe they had been so stupid. It made since for the Order or one certain member not to be talking.

"He did seem less talkative at the last meeting. I thought that was because of what's been going on between him and Tonks," Marcus said.

Katie sighed. "We just didn't think of the possibility."

"I wonder if it's been an occurring thing or if it was just a onetime deal."

"I don't know." Katie got to her feet and started to pace the room. "For all we know if could have been months ago."

"I know, but you think he would have said something."

Katie nodded. "I know. Maybe he was doing it to protect Harry. Protecting someone you care about does tend to mess with your head."

"I know." Marcus got to his feet and went over to Katie. He took her hands into his. "Which is why I think it's best if you take Emily and get out of the country. It's going to get ugly."  
>Katie looked into his pleading brown eyes. She did not want to be one of those females who ran at the sight of danger. She wanted to fight alongside her husband. However, there was Emily to think about and with Katie's family leaving the country, it did make her wonder.<p>

Marcus kissed her lips. "It would be easier if we left separately."

Katie eyed him. Was he for real? "What about the Death Eaters?"

"Screw the Death Eaters."

Katie gave him a look. "You can't say stuff like that. It'll get you killed."

"I know, but it was fun to say it."  
>Katie laughed, then stopped. "But you can't leave the country."<p>

Marcus put his arm around her. "We'll figure something out."

"Something that hopefully doesn't involve you getting killed."

Marcus nodded. "Hopefully."

Katie looked at the giant main window down into the lake. The mist was just beginning to form. She sighed; she really did hate foggy nights, but it did make for the prefect loving night.

She pulled away from Marcus and looked evilly up at him. "What do you we put Emily to bed early and have some fun for ourselves?"

Marcus kissed her forehead. "I like the way you talk."

Katie giggled and bent down to scoop Emily up. She was just about to stand up whenever Marcus forced her back down onto the ground. Katie opened her month to yell at him, but the sound of breaking glass stopped her.

The glass shattered over them in a rain of sharp needles. Katie held Emily underneath her and the glass rained down on the floor. Marcus put his hand over Katie's face as the glass flew closer to them.

The cries of ravens filled the night air as they landed with a loud pop on the longue floor. Katie felt bile form in the back of her throat as she realized that the ravens were dead.

Just as quickly as they had come, the ravens disappeared, leaving behind their dead brothers.

Marcus and Katie slowly got to their feet. Katie looked down at Emily and was relieved to find that the baby was unharmed. She looked over at Marcus and saw that he had several small cuts, but nothing major.

Marcus put his hand to Katie's arm. "You're lucky."

Katie looked down at her arm and saw a long, but not deep, cut on her left arm. "So, are you."

Marcus and Katie shifted through the glass and ravens to the window. Most of the glass had been broken out.

Katie looked out over the hills and quickly stepped back. "Marcus, look!" She pointed to a hill that was a kilometre of so away.

Marcus's eyes got big. "We have to leave."

Katie nodded.

The Dark Mark lit up the night sky. It's green glow casted a sickness and feeling of dread over the land. Katie closed her eyes. This was just too close.

Marcus tugged on Katie's arm. "We have to go."

The wind was starting to pick up and the glass was threatening to blow again.

Katie nodded and followed Marcus out of the house.

"We'll get Emily to my parents, then come back and try to board it up." Marcus paused as their reached the end of the enchantments. "You don't have to come back and help if you don't want to."

Katie just nodded as she took Marcus's hand and Apparted them to Flint Manor.

Katie winced as the alarms went off that surrounded the property. Marcus ignored it and kept pushing forward. Katie looked out and saw Marcus's parents pushing across the lawn with their wands out.

"Stop!" Jasmine barked as she pointed her wand at Marcus's chest.

Marcus froze. "It's just us."

Jasmine didn't lower her wand. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't I get a better welcoming?"

"Not until you answer the question."

"Death Eaters, ravens, and broken window." Marcus looked at his mother. "Do I need to say anymore?"

By now, Brad had caught up with them. "What happened?"

"Basically, the Death Eaters attacked Hundred Valley. Before you ask, we didn't see them, but we did see the Dark Mark."

Brad rubbed his face. Katie could read his expression well: someone had died tonight.

Jasmine looked down at Emily. "I think you should get her out of the night air."  
>Katie nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty damp out."<p>

Jasmine nodded toward the house and the rest of them followed her. Katie kept looking down at Emily. This latest attack was just too close for Katie's liking. She didn't want to admit it, but she really was considering following Marcus's advice, at least for the time being.

Jasmine lead them into the longue room. "If I look, I still might have some of Haley's old things for Emily. We have a crib upstairs for when the boys visit."

Katie nodded.

"We do probably need to go back and board the house up," Marcus said. "If it looks empty, people are going to start asking questions."

Brad nodded. "What I can't figure out is why there."

"Me neither. There's a high population of wealthy purebloods living in the area and the Dark side is all about saving magical blood." Marcus paused. "It's not like there's a bunch of Muggles in the area right now either. It's the off season."

Jasmine nodded. "There must be something there. It's next to the ocean so maybe it's an escape route."

"It could be," Katie chimed in. "My parents are using small towns to get out of Great Britain. The Death Eaters do seem to stay closer to higher populated areas."

"It would make sense," Brad said.

Katie looked ahead. She knew it was important to figure out why the Death Eaters were hanging out in certain areas, but felt that they should focus on the big picture. An innocent person or family was killed tonight.

Brad got to his feet. "We should go over and fix your house up."

Marcus and Katie got to theirs.

Jasmine took Emily from Katie's arms. "I'll stay here with her. Besides, she's almost asleep and there's no point in waking her up."

"Yeah, that would be great," Katie said as she followed the two men out the door.

Jasmine grinned. "Besides, one of us needs to go with them to make sure that they accomplish what they are doing."

Katie laughed while Marcus and Brad just stared at her.


	25. Chapter 25: Parasite

Chapter Twenty-Four: Parasite

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus looked at the wide hole in his head and realized how lucky they actually were. No one had been hurt or killed. A window could be replaced.

Brad knelt down next to a dead raven. "Again?"

Marcus nodded.

Katie shot Marcus a look. He quickly realized that he had never told about what had happened over the summer. He guessed that he would hear about that later.

Brad got up. "We really do need to look into the significant of the ravens. Even though it's not usual for Death Eaters to work in patterns, the fact that this has happened in the same place twice gives me a red flag."

Marcus nodded as he took out his wand. "We should get to work."

Brad and Katie took out their own wands.

As they put the window back together, Marcus stared at the faint outline of the Dark Mark. Even though it was faded, it was still there, watching and daring them to come closer. Marcus felt chills race down his spin. If the sign could cause so much fear and damage at a great difference, what was it like to be right under the Mark?  
>"I think that's as good as it gets," Brad said.<p>

Marcus looked at the window. Besides a few cracks here and there, the window looked untouched.

"Now, what about the ravens?" Katie asked. "We aren't keeping them in here so they can stink up the place or is that evidence and we can't do anything about it?"  
>"No, we don't need them," Brad said. "We took some samples for the other ravens."<br>"Are you sure it's not different?" Marcus asked and got another dirty look from Katie.

Brad nodded. "Yeah, if look close enough, you can see that the breaks are exactly in the same place."  
>Marcus looked at the raven at his feet and saw that his dad was right.<p>

"Good, now get them out of here," Katie commanded.

Marcus smiled at her. "Are you sure you don't want to keep one and put it on the wall?"

"Positive." Katie started toward the stairs. "You two take care of that while I go get some clothes and things."

Marcus watched her disappear.

"You'd better do what she tells you or you'll be spending a lot of nights on the couch," Brad advised.

"Have you had some experience with that?"

"Shut up."

Brad pulled out his wand and the ravens disappeared. "So, you have, then? You really do need to learn."  
>Marcus didn't answer.<p>

Katie came back downstairs and threw a duffle at Marcus. "Here, see if you want anything else."

Marcus ignored the looks his dad was giving him as he peered into the bag. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for. "Looks good." He put the over his shoulder.

"Ready, then?" Brad asked.

Katie nodded. "Yep."  
>Later that night, Marcus found himself unable to sleep. The attack had just been too much for him. He needed to convince Katie to leave to the country, but he wasn't sure how to do it. She didn't want to go, but he really didn't want her to see how these days were going to pay out. Tonight they had been lucky, but they may not be so lucky next time.<p>

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see how these days would play out and would gladly join her if given the chance.

There was always the Death Eaters. If he left the country, then they were sure to come after everyone he loved and cared about. Marcus couldn't let that happen.

Marcus opened his eyes and saw Emily staring at him. He carefully got out of bed and went over to her crib.

"Why are you awake?" he whispered.

Emily stretched her arms up to him. Smiling, Marcus bent down and picked her up. She buried her face in the fabric of his shirt. It always amazed him how much Emily loved and trusted him. He never really thought that he would be a father at twenty-one, but now that he was, he wasn't going to take it back.

Marcus carefully opened the door and went out into the hall. "Let me show you something," he said as he went up toward the attic. "Whenever my family used to visit England, I would come up here."

Marcus pushed open the attic door and stepped it. He found the old light switch and turned it on. The room looked pretty much untouched. Marcus sat down in the rocking chair and looked around. Toys were scattered on the floor, most of them belonged to his nieces and nephews, but Marcus recognized a few of his own.

He used to spend hours up here as a child. He supposed his parents had let him and his brothers up here because it was hidden. During Marcus's childhood, his family really didn't live in England, but had this manor as a place to stay. Marcus never really did understand why they didn't live in England, but he now knew it was because of the Dark War.

Marcus bent down, picked up Curious George, and gave it to Emily. Emily's eyes lit up and got big as she looked at the monkey.

"You like him too," Marcus said as he started to rock.

Emily just smiled.

Marcus slowly rocked Emily until she fell asleep. The moon shone in on them creating. Marcus didn't know why the moon made him feel warm inside.

Sighing he got his feet and went back downstairs. Katie would be waking up soon and wondering where they were.

A few days later, Marcus rushed across the vast lands of Malfoy Manor. Swearing, he looked down at his watch. He was ten minutes late and hated to think what was going to happen.

He slowly pushed open the main door and headed toward the dining room. The voices grew louder as he got closer to the door.

"The Order knows," Bellatrix hissed.

Marcus ducked back away from the door.

"You don't have any proof of that," Lucius said.

Marcus heard someone's hand hit the table. "They know. Why else would burn the shop down!"  
>"It was an old shop. It could have been natural causes."<p>

"You and both know that wasn't the case." Bellatrix paused. "You know as well as I do that boy has a connection to it."

"Again you don't know that."  
>Marcus was grateful that Lucius was defending him. He may have Bellatrix fooled, but at least he had part of the Death Eaters.<p>

He heard the clicking of heels from inside the dining room. "Don't try to deny it. It's not my fault you can't see what is in front of you. You know as well as I do that he has not abandoned that family of his like he claims to. He's too big of a trust fund for that."

Marcus frowned. He had more than enough money without his trust fund.

"Money has nothing to do with anything of this," Lucius said.

"Money is everything. You know as well I as I do that money is a source of power in this world."

Lucius sighed. "He's not an unwanted parasite, then?"

Bellatrix paused a few minutes before speaking. "No, he does have some value."

Marcus had had enough of this. He pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Bellatrix and Lucius both looked as he entered.

"Don't stop on my account," Marcus said as he swung himself into a chair. "You wanted to see me?"

Bellatrix looked up at the clock. "You're late."

Marcus held her gaze. "I'm a very busy person."

Bellatrix didn't respond.

"We do need to see you," Lucius said. "As you may know, the Dark Lord requires certain funds to keep up our operations."

Marcus looked lazily at them. "What do you mean?" He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like where this was going.

"The Dark Lord needs money and you have it." Bellatrix sat on the edge of the table. "Let me put it in simpler terms: we need more money and you have it. If you don't give it us, we will hurt that wife of yours and the kid."

Marcus paled.

Bellatrix leaned in close to him. "Oh, did you think we really didn't know about that?"

Marcus didn't answer. How much did they know about him?

"Let's make this simple on all of us." Bellatrix put her face into his. "You will just say yes and no one has to get hurt."

Gulping, Marcus found himself nodding.

Bellatrix moved back with a smile on her face. "I knew you would come to see things our way."

Marcus just stared ahead, cursing the stupid parasite.

Lucius was eyeing Marcus.

Bellatrix looked back at Lucius. "With a little pressure, you can make anyone come around to your point of view."

Lucius just nodded. Even though he appeared to be calm, Marcus could see that Lucius's hands were shaking.

"Like hell, they're getting my money!" Marcus was howling to his father a few hours later.

Brad looked up from his desk. "Well, good evening to you too."

Marcus threw himself into a chair. "Those m..."

"Language." Brad took off his reading glasses and put them on the desk. "Now, what's the problem?"  
>"They pretty much blackmailed me into funding them," Marcus spat.<p>

"So, they're hurting for money? That's good to know."

"That's beside the point." Marcus rubbed an head over his unshaven face. "There's plenty of others to fund them, why me?"

"They're just testing you." Brad looked at his son. "What did you say to them?"

"It's not like I had a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?"

Marcus looked at the floor. "They threatened to kill Katie and Emily if I didn't."

It was several seconds before Brad said another word. "How did they know about Emily?"

Marcus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do they know you're here?"

"I don't know that either."

Brad got up and went over the window. "You can't let your guard down at all. That's what they're waiting for you to do."

"I know."

"They won't leave you alone if you give them any reason to question you."

Marcus just nodded.

He needed to win the Death Eaters back over or just Bellatrix. Those who seemed to be on Bellatrix's good side seemed to have an easier time in the circle. Marcus thought that people were afraid of the Dark Lord, but the longer he was around them, the more he saw that people were actually afriad of Bellatrix.

He knew he was and really wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"I have to convince Katie to leave or at least get Emily out of the country," Marcus said after several minutes of silence.

"I think Katie would go for getting Emily out of the country, but I don't see her leaving," Brad said.

"I don't either, but it's too dangerous. With Bellatrix threatening them, I just can't let them stay here."

"I know how you feel and I know you are trying to do what's best, but Katie is also trying to do what's best for you."

Marcus eyed his dad. "What do you mean?"

"She keeps you level headed, that's all."

Marcus frowned. What was that supposed to mean?


	26. Chapter 25: Through My Veins

Chapter Twenty-Five: Through My Veins

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie looked up from her book as Marcus stormed into their room. She had just gotten Emily to fall asleep and did not need him waking her up.

"What is your problem?" Katie asked.

Marcus sat down on the bed next to her. "I pretty much just got blackmailed into funding the Death Eaters."

Katie closed her book and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I went to Malfoy Manor because the idiots summoned me. I thought it was a meeting of some sort, but when I got there it was just Lucius and Bellatrix."

Katie eyed him. "Lucius blackmailed you?" She was really surprised at that one. She always thought that the Malfoys liked Marcus.

Marcus shook his head. "It was Bellatrix. I think , no I know, she's on to me."

"How can you tell?"

"Just the way she acts around me." Marcus looked at his hands. "She sees me more as a threat than anything. It's not really about me, but who I'm related to."

"What has that got to anything?"

"Well, when your grandfather was the Minister of Magic during the last Dark War, it kind of creates a grudge."

Katie smiled. He did have a really good point. "You can play the "I don't talk to them" card."

"I tried it and she's not buying it." Marcus sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"I don't either."

Marcus looked up at Katie. "And I haven't even told you how she got me to agree to this. She told me that if I didn't say yes, then she would kill you and Emily."

Katie sucked in a deep breath. "How did they find out about Emily?"  
>"I haven't figured that one out."<p>

Katie took Marcus's hand into hers. She was trying to appear as calm as possible, but it was just too much. She could bare someone threatening her and Marcus, but Emily was a different story. Emily was just a child and had nothing to do with any of this; she was an innocent.

"We have to do something," Katie admitted.

"I know. I'm sure Nathanial would let her stay with him in Canada."

Katie nodded. "How we get her out of England?"

"That's something we need to figure out."

"Great," Katie muttered. She looked over at Emily's sleeping form. This was just going too far.

"Yeah, great," Marcus echoed.

Katie lowered Marcus's head down onto her lap and stroked his dark hair. Even though, she appeared calm, her mind was racing. There was just simply no way they could get out of the country. She looked around the room. Maybe the answer wasn't as difficult as she thought.

The box they had found in Natalia's shop had to be around here somewhere.

She looked down at Marcus, who looked like he was going to fall asleep at any time. She would wait until he was out, then go on a little journey or she could just ask Brad and Jasmine. They probably would have no problem with her using the box to get Emily out of the country.

Katie wasn't sure how she knew the box would help them with their problems. It was just a feeling racing through her veins.

Marcus looked up at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Katie wished he would just hurry up and asleep.

Marcus tried to sit up, but Katie held him down. He gave her a puzzled look.

"What?" She was starting to wonder if she could knock him out.

"You're acting strange."

"You need to rest."

"I'm fine."

Katie put her hand on his chest. "I say you to sleep, so sleep."

Marcus eyed her.

"Now." Katie didn't blink. As soon as she had said the word, Marcus was out.

Katie lifted his head from her lap and put it on the pillow. Frowning, she walked across the room toward the door. What had just happened? She hadn't done anything different. She looked down at her hands. She hadn't met to put a spell on him.

She looked back at Marcus's limp from and went out into the hallway. She sunk down onto the floor and stared at the empty wall. What was wrong with her? What if the Dark Lord wasn't the threat to her family?

She got to her feet; she didn't have time to sit here and worry about that. If she was the threat, the safest thing would be to get them away from her.

She wondered if she should go back and check on Marcus. She wasn't sure if she hurt him or now, but when she had left, he had been breathing. It was all good. He played Quidditch for a living, so he had been through worse.

Katie headed toward the west wing, which seemed to be the place where the elder members of the Flints spent most of their time. Unable to shake the guilty feeling, she walked through the manor with head down. She really didn't know why she was being so secretive around Marcus; it really didn't matter if he knew what she was up to.

But still, there was just something holding her back from telling him her plan.

Maybe it because she wasn't willing to chance it. For all they knew, the Death Eaters could be reading him mind or worse. They all knew what the Death Eaters were capable of.

Katie closed her eyes and went into Jasmine's study. Unlike her husband, Jasmine had more of an open door policy.

"Marcus, I already told you I no idea," Jasmine said as Katie stepped into the room.

Katie's heart skipped a beat. What was Marcus doing in here? Jasmine emerged from the book shelves without looking up.

"Um..." Katie started in.

Jasmine looked up from her book. "Oh, I thought you were Marcus."

"No, he's asleep." Katie looked at the ground, not wanting to say how Marcus fell asleep.

Jasmine smiled. "It's just as well." She set her book down on the desk. "Now, what brings you here?"

"Do you know of the current situation?" Katie asked.

"The one about my son being forced to fund the Death Eaters?"  
>Katie nodded. "Do you know what they did to get him to agree?"<p>

"Yes."

"Then, you understand why I have to get Emily out of the country."

Jasmine leaned against her desk. "I do. In fact, I was wondering when you or Marcus would be coming to talk about it. I'm really surprised that you two didn't come together."

"We've got our differences."

Jasmine nodded, but didn't ask questions.

"I think the safest way is through the box we found in Natalia's."

"I was wondering about the box myself. The Death Eaters have all of the borders sealed and there's only so many places to hide in Great Britain."

"Do you think it will work?"

Jasmine pointed to her book. "That's what I doing before you came in. I don't think it work." Katie's heart sank. "I know it will work."

Katie nodded. "How hard would it be to move her?"

"Not hard at all." Jasmine looked at Katie. "Do you have a safe place in mind?"

"Marcus said something about Nathanial's."  
>"That will work."<br>"He's in British Colombia, right?"

Jasmine nodded.

British Colombia would surely be far enough away from this madness. Katie wished that there was some way to get her parents there, but trying to find them would more than likely just expose them and cost them their lives. She just wouldn't risk it and she knew her parents wouldn't want her to.

"Does it transport that far?" Katie asked.

"It will take you anywhere you want to. It's kind of like a portal. I am going to go over it during the next order meeting in two weeks," Jasmine said. "I do wish I could go over it sooner, but it's not like we can just send a message and ask everyone to come here."

"I know. Will it ever return to normal?" Katie asked.

"I hope so. We just mustn't lose hope."

Katie nodded. "I need to talk to Marcus before we send her through."

"You'd better go wake him, then."

"Yeah." Katie turned to leave. "Thanks."

Jasmine gave Katie a knowing smile and Katie wondered if Jasmine knew what Katie had done to Marcus. However, Katie didn't want to ask.

A few minutes later, Katie found herself staring at Marcus's sleeping form. She really wasn't sure how she was going to word what was going on. Sighing, she reached out and shook him.

Marcus awoke as soon as she touched him. "How long was I out?" He asked as he sat up rubbing his head. "Did I hit my head on something?"

Katie wondered if she had killed some of his brain cells. "Not that I know of. You could've done it in your sleep."

Marcus frowned. "Huh."

Katie sat on the edge of the bed. "I talked to your mum."

"That's not good. It seems like whenever you two talk about something, it usually involves me doing something."

Katie picked at the blanket. "Well, it does, but it's for the best." She paused. "It's about Emily and getting her out of the country."

Marcus looked suddenly more alive."What about it?"

"You remember the box we found at Natalia's?"

Marcus nodded. "And?"

"It's an escape route. If you just focus on where you want to go, it will take you there. You know that Apparition doesn't work over long distances, such as Canada, but this works just like it and will let you travel a long distance in a matter of seconds."

Marcus frowned. "How sure if my mum?"

Katie looked at Marcus. "You know your mum. How often is she wrong?"

"Not often."

"And you know that she would never suggest something unless she was sure it would work."

Marcus put his head down for a few seconds, then raised it. "So, is this what we are going to do?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah and I should be the one go with her. You can't leave the country or the Death Eaters will think you are running."

Marcus nodded. "When?"

"I think the sooner the better."

"Is it ready?"  
>Katie nodded. "Yeah."<br>Marcus took out his mobile. "I can talk to Nathanial and see if he's okay with it being so soon."

"You do that and leave the room so you don't want her up."  
>Nodding, Marcus left the room.<p>

Katie went over to Emily. It was difficult to send her away, but Katie knew it was for the best. Katie bent down at kissed Emily's forehead. "I love you," she whispered with a heavy heart.

Marcus came back into the room a few minutes later. "He said tonight is fine."

Katie nodded. "I guess we should start gathering her stuff up." She turned away from Marcus.

Marcus gently grabbed Katie's arm. "You can stay with her, you know that, right?"

Katie nodded and looked over at Emily. "I don't know where I'm supposed to be."

"I know, but you're not the only one."

"I don't want to be one of those women who runs away."

Marcus looked her in the eye. "But you're not. It's your choice. There is nothing wrong with leaving to protect your child and your family."

Katie did feel like it was the women who did more protecting than the men.

"Katie?" Marcus asked.

"I know," Katie whispered.


	27. Chapter 26: Me Against You

Chapter Twenty-Six: Me Against You

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the box on his mum's desk. He just didn't understand how something some small could transport people. Katie was holding Emily. They would get going through together and if everything went okay, Katie would return in a couple of days.

Emily smiled at Marcus and reached her arms out to him. He took her from Katie and held her close. "You give my brother lots of trouble."

"You don't need to give her any ideas," Jasmine said as she entered the room. Brad was right behind her.

"You ready?" Brad asked.

Katie took Emily from Marcus's arms. "Yeah."

Marcus put his hand on Katie's arm. Katie turned to him and kissed his lips. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Jasmine opened the box. "Just focus on Nathanial and it will take you there."

Katie shifted Emily. "Okay." She looked at the rest of them. "Well, I guess I'll see you later." She stepped toward the box and disappeared.

Marcus stared at the empty space. "When will we know if it didn't work?"

Jasmine gathered the box up. "We would've known by now."

Marcus nodded. They were safe and that was all that mattered. "I'd better go. I'm supposed to be meeting Adrian and the Ministry."

"Take your mobile," Brad said.

"Yeah, hopefully this time I don't end losing money."

"Hopefully."

Marcus walked out of the room and went to change into his robes. He sat down on the bed as he pulled on his boots. His mind was racing. How long would it take the Death Eaters to realize that Emily and Katie had left the country? If they knew that Emily and Katie had left, it would probably add to their suspension of him.

Shoving his wand in his pocket, he went outside and disappeared with a pop.

A few minutes later, Marcus arrived at the Ministry. Adrian was leaning against the entrance wall.

"This is so stupid," Adrian muttered as they went down into the men's room. "We are on their side and shouldn't have to do this."  
>Marcus didn't answer.<p>

"They captured some Muggles in Ireland. It looked like they were trying to flee the country," Adrian went on. "So, it looks like we are actually going to have to do stuff today."

Marcus's heart skipped a beat. Katie's parents were in Ireland. Were they in the group?

As they entered the Ministry, Marcus knew this was going to be a long day.

Adrian pushed through the crowds. Several non-Death Eater workers gave them the normal dirty looks, but none dared to say a word. Marcus was actually glad that most chose to protest in silence. He didn't care that people didn't like him or judged him, but often times found himself wondering what gave someone the right to do so.

He wasn't afraid of them, but it always in the back of his mind what they were capable of. Even though he wasn't a Death Eater, the world still viewed him as one.

Adrian pushed open the torture room door and they stepped in. Marcus noticed right away that there were more people. The cells now had about ten people crammed into them. The new and old Muggles alike gave them both dirty looks as Marcus and Adrian pasted them.

Adrian disappeared into the back.

"You," one hissed as Marcus pasted a cell.

Marcus turned and gripped his wand. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he wasn't about to put up threats.

"You," the voice hissed again.

Marcus went over to the cell. His heart sank once he recognized the voice. Katie's father, Jim, was leaning against the wall. Jim was almost unrecognizable, his hair was long and he was unshaven. Marcus could see how close to starvation he was.

Jim put his hands around the bars. He was one of the few people with his own cell.

Marcus looked around to make sure Adrian was still out of sight before going over the cell.

"Are they okay?" Jim whispered, his eyes darting around. "Did they escape?"

"Yeah," Marcus said in a low voice. "They left earlier tonight. Where's Jenna?"

"She got away."  
>Marcus looked around. "We wanted to come after you, but..."<p>

"I know." Jim closed his eyes. "You probably get told this enough, but we careful."

"What about you?"

Jim smiled. "I'll be all right." He paused. "Now, punch me and make it look good."

Marcus looked down at his fist. "Um..."

"Do it or they're going to start to wonder."

Marcus sighed and made a fist. He could not believe he was going to do this.

"Punch me like you were in a fight."

Great...Marcus drew back his fist and connected it with Jim's face. Jim let out a groan as Marcus's fist struck him and straggled backwards.

"Nice punch," Jim groaned.

Adrian came out of the back room and over to them. "Is he giving you attitude?"

"I took care of it," Marcus said.

Adrian looked at Jim. "I can see that."

Jim glared at the pair of them, but didn't say a word. Marcus followed Adrian to the back room, wondering how much damage he had actually done to Jim.

Adrian already had the torture table cleaned up. "These new ones are clearly going to cause us some problems. We need to keep an eye on them."

Marcus nodded. "It's always the new people who cause all of the problems."

"Isn't that the truth," Adrian snorted.

Marcus's eyes kept darting out to the holding area. He wasn't sure what to do about Jim. Marcus couldn't let him stay in there, but wasn't sure how to get Jim without exposing himself.

Adrian handed Marcus a knife. "What do you say we start with him?"

Marcus took the knife. "With who?"

"The one who was giving you the attitude."

Marcus looked at the sharp edges of the knife. "Is there any reason why?"

Adrian shrugged. "I just figured you would want to get even with him."

Marcus put the knife down and picked up a sharper one. "Maybe we want to save the troublemaker for last."

"Saving the best for last?"

Marcus nodded. "Exactly."

Adrian smiled. "I really do like your thinking."

Marcus really did like the sharper knife better. "I try."

"I'll go get us one," Adrian said as he left the room.

Marcus leaned against the wall. This was making his head worse than a Quidditch head injury. What was he supposed to do about Jim? He couldn't let Jim become another victim.

Adrian came back a few minutes later with an elderly man.

"You kids have no idea what you are doing!" the old man was screaming as Adrian strapped him down onto the table. "You're probably too young to remember the last war, but you should know how it ended! You will pay for this!"

Adrian hit the old man. "Shut up!"  
>The old man fell silent, but kept giving them dirty looks.<p>

"Much better," Adrian muttered.

"I have done nothing wrong. I can't help it if I was born a certain way!"  
>Adrian rolled his eyes. "Make him shut up!"<p>

Marcus pulled out his wand. "_Silencio."_

The old man looked wide eyed at Marcus as he tried to find his voice. Normally, Marcus hated putting charms on other people, but this was necessary.

Adrian pushed the old man's shirt up and uncapped a bottle. Marcus closed his eyes as soon as he realized it was acid. "Let's have some fun since he can't scream."

The old man's eyes were huge, begging Marcus to put a stop to this.

Adrian raised the bottle over the old man.

Marcus reached out and grabbed Adrian's arm. "Don't, you're crossing the line."

"Are you standing up for Mudbloods?" Adrian snapped.

Marcus stared Adrian down. "You know as well as I do that this is evil."

"Are you're point is?" Adrian held Marcus's gaze. "It's about your father-in-law in there."

Marcus blinked.

"Do you think I didn't know who he was? That's why you didn't want to bring him in here."

The old man was staring at him.

"You really do need to watch your back, Marcus. I am only giving you a warning because I am your friend. I don't want to have to turn you in." Adrian gave Marcus a sick smile.

Marcus looked at the old man, whose eyes were still wide. He couldn't do this.

Adrian brought his hand down on the table. "Marcus!"

Marcus looked at Adrian.

"You need to man up and do this. You know as well I as I do what will happen to you if you don't and I will put all of the blame on you."

Marcus sighed. So, much for friends sticking together no matter what the cost.

Adrian eyed the acid and the old man. "You are lucky that this one is willing to protect you," he hissed as he slammed the bottle down on the table and stormed out.

Marcus took the charm off the old man and unchained him. Marcus took his wand out and pointed to the wall in front of them. "Scream when I tell you too and we both might just pull this off," Marcus hissed.

Even though the old man nodded, Marcus could tell that he still didn't trust him.

"Now," Marcus hissed.

The old man screamed as a light filled the room. The old man screamed until he noticed he was unharmed.

"Adrian, I'm going to take care of this, then I'll join you upstairs," Marcus called, praying that Adrian won't come back into the room.

Adrian didn't respond.

"Adrian?" Marcus called again.

"Yeah, I heard you," Adrian answered.

Marcus nodded and pushed open the back door. "Come on."

The old man still couldn't believe his luck as he raced out behind Marcus.

Marcus lead them down a set of steep stairs and down a tunnel that ran along the River Thames. He looked up at the stairs to make sure that Adrian hadn't followed them and slashed the cool, quick moving water.

Marcus drew himself to full height. "Leave the country and make yourself disappear. Don't even come back to Great Britain or I will have no other choice, but to kill you."

The old man grabbed Marcus's arm and held on for a few minutes. "You be careful," he whispered before disappearing above ground.

Marcus stood there for a few minutes before going back into the Ministry.

Adrian was standing inside the holding room. "I knew you had it in you and you were just slipping up."

Marcus just nodded. "Yeah, it had to be done."

Adrian nodded. Neither one of them wanted to bring up what had just happened.

"Let's go get something to eat," Marcus muttered.

As they passed Jim's cell, Marcus could feel his father-in-law's stare on him, but knew better than to look. Adrian would know that something was up.

Marcus watched behind Adrian as they got out of the lift. In a fight, Marcus was sure that he could Adrian, but didn't want it to come to that.

_"Me against you,"_ Marcus thought as they pushed out into Muggle London.

Marcus's eyes kept darting around looking for the old man, but found himself feeling better whenever he did not spot the old man. He only hoped that the old man had taken his advice.


	28. Chapter 27: All Eyes On Me

Chapter Twenty-Seven: All Eyes On Me

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback**

**A Few Minutes Ago...**

If Marcus was caught, it would mean death. He would be killed and he feared that they would come after Katie.

Katie looked at him. "But what about you?"

Marcus kissed her. "I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry," Marcus told her again.

Katie looked at him.

"Just remember all the good times."

"That's really cheesy, you know?"

"Yeah, that wasn't supposed to come out that way."

Katie laughed.

**Now**

As soon as Katie stumbled into the longue, she found herself in the tight embrace of dark haired seventeen year old.

"Katie!" Haley greeted as she untangled herself from Katie. She looked down at Emily and, then, back at Katie. "She looks just like you."

Katie handed Haley one of her bags. "Yeah, I guess she does."

Nathaniel and his wife, Demi, appeared in the doorway. Nathaniel leaned against the wall in a way that mirrored Marcus.

Demi came over and took Katie's other bags. "Let's get you settled. You've had a long journey."

Katie nodded. "Thanks."  
>Katie followed Demi out of the room and up a flight of stairs. She saw signs of wealth on every wall. It never ceased to amaze her how wealthy this family was.<p>

"I just want to thank you for letting us stay here," Katie said as Demi opened a door on the second floor.

"It's not a problem." Demi stepped aside and let Katie enter the room. "We're family now and this what family does."

Katie smiled and sat Emily down on the bed.

Demi looked over at Emily. "She's beautiful."  
>"Yeah, she is. I really have no idea what I'm doing though."<p>

"With parenting, you kind of have to make it up as you go."

"I've noticed."

Haley balanced into the room. "Nate wants to know if you want something to eat."

Demi looked at Haley. "Is he offering to cook?"

"Nope, he's offering to go pick it up."

Demi rolled her eyes. "I figured," she said as she excited the room.

Haley sat down on the bed next to Emily. "So, how long are you staying?"  
>"I haven't really decided. I would like to go back, but I don't know if it would be a wise idea," Katie said.<p>

"That bad?"

"Yeah and it's getting worse."

Haley sighed. "At this rate, I'll never get to go back home."

Katie didn't answer. She was feeling the same way. Would any of them ever be able to return home?

Haley picked Emily up. "I'm just glad she looks like you instead of Marcus."

"And why is that?"

"Everyone looks alike and it's time to add something a little different."  
>"Are you saying you look like your brothers?"<p>

Haley rocked Emily back and forth. "I hope not. I would like to think I have a little more curves than them."

Katie thought about Marcus's body. She did have to admit he did have a little curve to his body, but nothing like a female's. "I think you do."  
>Haley made a face. "You were thinking about Marcus, weren't you?"<p>

Katie gave Haley a smile.

"You were! I like to talk about boys as much as the next girl, but he is my brother and that's just gross." Haley handed Emily back to Katie.

"I could do a lot worse."  
>Haley gave her a look. "You wouldn't dare talk about the honeymoon."<br>"It could be arranged."

Haley got to her feet. "And I'm out." She quickly excited the room.

Katie smirked down at Emily. "And that's how you get rid of her."  
>Emily gave Katie a big smile.<br>Katie stood up and started to pace the length of the room. She still didn't know if she was going to return to England. She knew that Marcus would respect either decision and she knew what he wanted her to do, but she wasn't sure what she should do. Emily did need her, but, even though he wouldn't admit it, Katie knew that Marcus needed her. It seemed like all eyes were on her.

Emily's eyes were growing heavy. Katie put her down in the crib. What was the right thing to do?  
>Demi's dark head poked into the door. "Nate's got food ready, if you are hungry."<p>

Katie looked back at Emily. "Sounds good. I think she will be out for awhile."

"You'll learn to get some me time in when they're out," Demi said.

"I know," Katie said as she followed Demi downstairs to the kitchen.

Nathanial was just putting the last of the food on the table with two small children under his feet. The twins, Amee and Dara, both stared at Katie with great interest. Katie did have to admit it made her rather nervous.

"That should be it," Nathanial said as he settled into a seat.

Katie slid across from him and looked at the mountain of food in front of her.

Nathanial gave her a small smile. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I just made a little of everything."

Katie began shoving the closest food onto her plate. "I can see that."

Demi laughed. "You should be honoured that he cooked for you. I'm surprised he knows where the kitchen is."

"Sometimes it pays to marry a man who lived on his own for a few years," Katie said.

"Yeah, it does," Demi agreed.

Nathaniel just shook his head. "I'm not stupid."

"Never said you were," Demi said.

Katie took a big bite of food. She was aware that the twins were watching her.

"How long is Katie staying?" Amee asked innocently.

"As long as she wants," Demi said.

"What about Marcus? He promised that he would show me how to fly," Dara asked.

Nathaniel made a face. "Did he now?"  
>Dara nodded. Her big brown eyes were wide. "Yeah, he even promised to take me up on his broom."<p>

"We'll see. It looks like I need to have a chat with my little brother," Nathaniel said.

"He already took me up, but Dara was too afraid," Amee piped up.

Demi sat her fork down. "When did he do that?"

Amee looked at the wall. "Summer, I think. It was a nice day and the sun made my eyes hurt."

Demi and Nathanial exchanged looks. Katie was trying hard not to laugh. She really didn't see what the problem was with teaching the girls how to fly. She personally believed it was best to teach a child to fly when they were young.

"That is the last time I leave my children with him," Nathanial muttered.

"No one fell," Amee said. "As long as no one got hurt, then really isn't a problem."

"You are too young to be learning to fly," Nathanial said.

The girls looked at their food.

"I take them up," Katie offered. She thought that maybe Demi and Nathanial would feel better about her over Marcus. "I'm not as reckless in the air as he is."

Demi and Nathanial exchanged looks.

"I guess that would be okay," Nathanial said slowly.

Dara and Amee cheered.

After finishing eating, Katie went upstairs to check on Emily who was still sound asleep. Katie flopped down on her own bed, figuring it was best to sleep now because there was no chance of Emily sleeping tonight.

She closed her eyes and allowed darkness to overtake her.

** Harry tossed the Quaffle to her and so took off toward the goals, flying with ease. About halfway down the pitch she passed it to one of the giggling girls, who dropped it. Katie swooped around her and grabbed the Quaffle before it hit the ground. **

** Katie dived back up and scattered a group of the giggling girls. As she passed them, they were no longer giggling, but screaming. This just furthered her belief that these girls were not and never would be Quidditch players. They would be the Quidditch groupies. **

** She pulled out of the dive and glided around a Bludger with ease. She raced toward the goals. None of the other Quidditch hopefuls moved to stop her. She scored without any difficulty. **

** She turned back to see where the rest of the pack was. They were still at mid-pitch. She smiled and shook her head. This was going to be fun. **

** Katie watched as one of the giggling girls attempted to score a goal. She suppressed a laugh as the Quaffle fell several metres away from its' proper location. **

** She raced down the field and grabbed the Quaffle. She tossed it back up to the girl, who smiled warmly at her. It almost made Katie fell bad for mocking the girls. They really wanted to impress Harry. However, Harry was not the type of guy to fall for this sort flattery. **

** Katie returned the girl's smile and flew deep into the pitch. She had to get out of the shallow bay those girls were living in. Normally, she did not like to drift out to sea, but those girls gave her no other options. **

** From the distance, she watched as the girl went back up to score again. This time a Bludger hit her in the back of the head. Katie winced, but did have to give the girl some credit. She did at least manage to stay halfway on her broom. **

** From the ground below, Katie heard Harry's whistle. **

** She gently flew down toward the ground and landed with ease. **

** Harry made his way over to her. "Welcome back, Katie." He paused. "You are our first Chaser." **

Katie found herself relaxing as she dreamed about Quidditch and hoped that the girls would enjoy it. Who knows maybe when everything got better maybe they could play a game of Quidditch? She wondered if Nathanial would be open to Katie taking Amee and Demi to see Marcus play.

Something was shaking her. "Katie, wake up!"  
>Katie opened her eyes and found herself looking into Demi's olive face. "What is it?"<br>Demi took her lit wand out of Katie's face. "There's someone here to see you."

"Marcus?" Katie asked as she pushed the covers back.

"No, she says that it's important that she sees you right away."

Katie nodded. "Okay."

Katie followed Demi down into the longue. Nathanial was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest; Katie wondered if that was a Flint thing.

Someone was sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped in a mountain of blankets and slowly sipping a steaming liquid.

"She'll be alright," Nathanial informed Katie.

Katie nodded and took a small step forward. She fully believed that Nathanial would not let someone dangerous into the house, but she really wasn't sure.

The figure on the couch looked up at Katie. "Hello, Katie," Jenna whispered.

Katie rushed over to her stepmother's side and embraced her. Tears were running down Katie's face. "Ho-how did you get here?"

"I'm really not sure," Jenna whispered.

Katie sat down next to Jenna and looked around the room. "Where's Dad?"

Jenna looked at the mug in her hands. "I'm not sure. We lost each other during the raid."

Katie closed her eyes. Sure, she was glad that Jenna was okay, but it would have been better had they both come. She opened her eyes.

Her father was lost and there really was nothing she could do about it.

Katie put her arms around Jenna. "We will find him."


	29. Chapter 28: This Funny Dangerous Game

Chapter Twenty-Eight: This Funny Dangerous Game

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus crossed as his arms over his chest as he stared down at Jim's sleeping form. Marcus knew it was now or never. It would be easier to get Jim out now instead of during the day, it was part of the reason why Marcus had volunteered to take the night shift tonight.

Marcus's brown eyes darted around the room. The rest of the Muggles were asleep, completely unaware of his presence.

Marcus knelt down next to Jim's cell and peered in. The day crew hadn't shown Jim any mercy. His face was batted and beaten with broken skin and dried blood covering his body. Marcus wasn't sure how badly Jim was hurt, but judging by what he could see it wasn't good. Marcus wasn't sure if Jim could walk, let alone get down the tunnel.

Marcus mentally calculated how many workers there were upstairs. He remembered his father mentioning something about at night the Ministry was only about tenth staffed compared to the day shift. It was possible for them to slip out the front unnoticed, unless the Death Eaters had added more people.

Marcus pinched his temples. Why did everything have to be so difficult? He couldn't leave Jim in there. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his robe pocket for the keys.

"Jim," Marcus hissed. "Get up."

Jim slowly opened his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Marcus got to his feet and unlocked the door. He pulled Jim to his feet. "Let's go. We don't have a lot of time."  
>Jim looked up at Marcus. "What are you doing? Don't be stupid."<p>

Marcus didn't say anything as he started quickly toward the exit.

Jim was struggling to keep up with Marcus's long stride. Marcus slowed down, but knew they didn't have the time to go this slow.

"Marcus," Jim hissed. He was already out of breath.

"Shut up," Marcus whispered as he looked down the hall before motioning Jim forward.

Jim stepped out into the hall and quickly moved into the shadows. He was still giving Marcus looks, but Marcus wasn't paying attention. They were in a blind spot now and that was making Marcus nervous. For all they knew, an army of Death Eaters could be on the other side.

Marcus looked back at Jim. "Wait here."

Jim nodded.

Marcus stepped out from behind the wall and peered out. No one was coming. He motioned forward.

They made their way down the hallway at a quick walk. It would have made Marcus feel better if they were able to run out in the open, but he knew that Jim could not rum well on the best of days.

Marcus ducked into a small office entry and peered out. He swore whenever he heard voice approaching.

"Stay here," Marcus hissed at Jim.

Jim nodded.

Marcus stepped out into the light as Rabastan Lestrange and Walden Macnair rounded the corner.

"What are you doing down here?" Macnair spat at Marcus.

Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "My job."

Rabastan's eyes darted between Macnair and Marcus. "He is actually supposed to be down here."

Macnair didn't respond.

Marcus eyed his uncle, who he had never really spoken to. Marcus's aunt and Macnair had divorced whenever she found out he was a Death Eater.

Rabastan grabbed Macnair's arm. "Come on. I told you there was nothing going on down here."

Macnair stared at Marcus, but allowed Rabastan pull him away.

Marcus waited close to fifteen minutes before going back into the office.

Jim looked up at Marcus. "I can't let you go through with this."

Marcus grabbed Jim's arm and pulled him back out into the hall. "Good thing that you really don't have a choice in the matter."

Jim just snorted.

Marcus's eyes danced as he looked at the lift and the stairs. The stairs would be safer because no one used them anymore. However, the lift would be faster. Marcus looked over at Jim. If the guy could climb the stairs up from the bottom level, surely he could handle a few more flights of stairs.

Marcus pushed open the stairs door. "In."

Jim stepped in as Marcus pulled out his wand and lit it.

Jim looked up at the steep stairs. "I had forgotten these were here."

Marcus started up the steps behind Jim. "Hopefully, the others will too."

"We can only hope," Jim echoed.

Since the steps were so narrow and step, they made their way up slowly. Marcus stumbled a few times, but was able to quickly regain his balance. Jim, however, had no difficulty climbing the stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Marcus turned to Jim. "Wait here. I'll check and make sure that no one is up here."

Jim nodded.

Marcus stepped out on the east side of the fountain. He looked around and listened to make sure that no one was coming. Once he felt that they were in the clear, he walked back to the stairs door.

"Make it quick and we should be good," he whispered to Jim.

Jim gave Marcus a small smile. "You really shouldn't have to do this."

Marcus didn't respond to that. "Then, I'll send you to make parents, they'll patch you up, and send you to Canada."

Jim nodded.

Marcus looked around the main room one final time before nodding. He reached into his pocket and handed Jim's wand back to him. "I thought you might want this back."  
>Jim took it. "You were right on that one."<br>Marcus gave the room one final go over. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Jim replied.

"No matter what happens don't stop." With that, Marcus darted out of the safety of the stairs and out into the open.

Marcus looked back to see if Jim was coming. The older man was right on his heels. Marcus knew that the fireplaces were only a few metres in front of them. He grabbed Jim's robes and shoved him forward.

"Stop!" a voice commanded behind them.

Swearing Marcus took out his wand.

Jim looked wide eyed at Marcus, but didn't stop. He dived head first into the fireplace just after the gates went down.

Marcus slid to a stop just centimetres before hitting the gate.

Rabastan walked over to Marcus and grabbed the front of his robes. "What the hell happened?"

Marcus felt his heart racing. "I don't know."

Rabastan shoved Marcus hard into the gate. "You don't know or you don't want to tell me," he hissed.

Marcus didn't respond. He could feel the flames threatening to lick his head.

Rabastan shoved Marcus harder into the gate. Marcus winced as he felt a rib crack. "You have a lot of explaining to do, so I suggest you start talking."

"Leave him alone, Rabastan," a voice behind him commanded.

"Lucius, why are you defending him?" Rabastan snapped without looking away from Marcus.

Lucius came around and put his wand on Rabastan's Adam's apple. "Let go over him."  
>Rabastan looked at the wand and snorted. With one final slam into the gate, Rabastan let Marcus fall to the ground. "You're lucky that someone's here to defend you."<p>

Marcus and Lucius watched as Rabastan stormed off.

Marcus slowly got to his feet. He had no idea that getting slammed into a gate could hurt so bad.

Lucius roughly grabbed Marcus and eyed him. "I don't want to know what you were thinking, but one more stunt like that you and you are done."

Marcus didn't answer.

Lucius shook him. "You hear me!"  
>Marcus nodded. "Yeah."<br>"You know as well as I do what they think of you and this isn't helping." Lucius paused. "I will convince Rabastan to tell that others that the Mudblood overpowered you. He'll listen and that way you only receive a small punishment."  
>Marcus just nodded.<p>

Lucius gave Marcus one final look before going in the same direction as Rabastan.

Marcus pulled up the side of his shirt and looked at the bruise that already starting to form on his side. Swearing, he walked over to the lift and headed back downstairs. He could only pray that the Death Eaters didn't track Jim or they would all pay the price.

He ignored the hisses he got as he walked past the Muggles, most of whom had woken up by now. He went into the back room and slammed the door shut.

**Malfoy Manor, Three Days Later **

Draco Malfoy eyed Marcus. "I don't trust you."

Marcus leaned casually against Draco's bedroom window. "Oh, why is that?"

Draco backed away from him. "You know too much."

Marcus straightened up. Where was Draco going with this? Last time Marcus checked, they were still friends. "What makes you think that?"

Draco reached into his robes for his wand. "You just do." He was ready to pull it out.

As he pulled his wand out of his robes, Marcus took a step towards Draco. "Expelliarmus." He caught Draco's wand as it flew towards him. "You know better than that."

Draco looked at Marcus. "So, do you. If the others and the Dark Lord find out about you, you're a dead man. They'll kill you, but they'll probably make you suffer first."

As he reached into his pocket and hit a button on his mobile, Marcus looked away. He always knew that this job had risks. He could've just kept his Chaser position, but, no, he was stupid enough to take this one. Besides, it's not like he had anything better to do. (The Quidditch league had been cancelled earlier this year.)

Draco smiled at him. "Hit a nerve, didn't I?"

Marcus cursed him. He had to do something. He knew that he should leave, but he had nowhere to hid, nowhere to go. Instead, he kept cursing Draco, who was making such a racket that Marcus silenced him.

Now he could hear people climbing the stairs. Bellatrix and the others were on they're way. He looked for a way out. They were none. (Voldemort had made the house so that no one could Apparate in or out.) His heart was breathing fast. He was scared. He really didn't want to die today. He kind of wanted to live to his twenty second birthday.

Bellatrix cursed the door in. While two Death Eaters grabbed Marcus, she took one look around the room, and then she looked at her Draco, who was lying on the floor. She gave him his voice back and he immediately began to tell her about Marcus. When he was done, she narrowed her eyes at Marcus. "Take him to the courtyard," she ordered to other Death Eaters. "I will personally deal with him."

Marcus's heart skipped a beat. He knew that this was going to hurt. The two Death Eaters dragged him down the stairs, out the kitchen door, and into the large courtyard. There they threw him on the ground and kicked him. He grunted in pain. They covered him with their wands. Every time he moved, one of them kicked him in the stomach.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Bellatrix, followed by Draco, entered the courtyard. She dismissed the other Death Eaters and went over to stand over Marcus. "You know what I do to traitors?" Marcus shut his eyes. "You're going to find out." She turned to Draco. "Make him lie down on his back, pull back his robes, and bare his chest."

Draco glared at Marcus as he did as he was ordered, but Marcus put up a fight and they both ended up with a few bruises. "This is what you get," he hissed, "for betraying your friends, for being a traitor."

Marcus narrowed his eyes at Draco. "Well, at least I didn't take the easy way out," he hissed back. "At least after this is over, I won't have a jail sentence." This little comment earned him a kick in the stomach. He gasped, but didn't say anything.

"You have to win first." Bellatrix took a step towards him. She pulled out her wand and knelt down next to Marcus. "And the way, it's looking it won't be to promising for you, boy. In the end, it's all about power." She stood up and pointed her wand at him. "Now, it's game time. I'm the cat who caught the rat._ Crucio_!"

His body arched. He tried to ignore the pain, but the pain wouldn't go away. It lasted for what seemed like hours. When she finally quit, he was about really to pass out.

She placed a foot on his chest. "So, kid, how's the Order?" He didn't answer. "I cans see that they've left you here to die." She took her foot off his chest and seized his head so he was forced to look her in the eyes. "How does that make you feel?"  
>Marcus didn't answer. He was just praying that his dad picked up.<p>

She cursed him again and again. Each time he gasped in pain, she laughed and kept on cursing him.

After several rounds of this, she took a step back from Marcus and smiled. "Did that hurt?"

Marcus was fighting to catch his breath.

"I don't think it hurt him enough," Greyback hissed. "Let me have a round with him."

Bellaatrix pulled a knife out of her robes. "No, let me teach him a lesson."  
>Greyback stepped back.<p>

Once again, Bellatrix turned to her nephew. "Move his arm."

"Which one?" Draco inquired.

She smiled. "You chose."

Draco chose Marcus's right arm. He held it away from the older boy's side.

Bellatrix raised the knife and stabbed deep into Marcus's stomach. She laughed. "Do you want another one?"

Marcus was grasping as he held his hands on his stomach. Pain was shooting up his body.

"I think you do," Bellatrix said as she brought the knife down again into Marcus's side.


	30. Chapter 29: Caught in the Middle

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Caught in the Middle

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie leaned back her bed. She had no idea where her father was. She was thankful that her sisters were safe in Italy at school. She was just glad that her grandparents had agreed to pay for them to go to school aboard. It was just more weight off Katie's shoulders.

Emily was sleeping peaceful in her crib. Katie had noticed that Emily had been sleeping more since they came here.

Katie sighed. She knew that she should get up but she just wasn't ready to move right now. There was just something keeping her in bed.

Jenna was just down the hall. Katie wanted to talk to her more about Jim, but didn't want to disturb Jenna. Jenna had been through a lot over the last couple of months and Katie did not want to be the one to bring up those horrid memories. There were just some lines you didn't cross.

Emily cries filled the room.

Katie kicked back the blankets and went over to Emily's crib.

Emily looked up at Katie with big blue eyes.

Katie bent down and picked her up. "What's the matter?" she asked as if she expected an answer.

Emily wrapped her hand around Katie's and stared up at her with teary eyes.

"Daddy will come see you soon," Katie whispered. It felt strange to call Marcus "daddy." It was something Katie could get used to though.

Emily just smiled.

Katie sat down on her bed. She really did hope that Marcus did visit them soon. It had only been a couple of days, but she hadn't heard from him. She looked at her mobile on the desk. Maybe she should just call him, but she didn't want to seem to clingy.

Katie looked down at Emily. Maybe it would be wise to call him and make sure everything was okay. "What do you think?" she asked Emily.

Emily just blinked.

Katie put Emily on her hip and went over the desk. She picked up the mobile and dialled Marcus's number. Busy. Sighing, Katie sat the mobile back down. He would see that Katie could had called and call her back at some point in the day.

Katie gathered up some of Emily's toys and sat them and Emily down in the centre of the room so she could get ready for today.

As soon as Katie stepped out in the hallway, Demi's olive face appeared. "Good morning," Demi said.

"Good morning to you too," Katie said as she entered the bathroom.

Demi leaned against the doorframe. "You're stepmother is still sleeping. I wasn't sure if we should wake her or just leave her be."  
>Katie leaned against the sink. "I would leave her alone. She's been though a lot."<br>Demi nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you okay?"

"He hasn't called." Katie paused. "He said he would and he hasn't."  
>Demi came over to Katie and put her arms around her. "He will. He's probably just busy."<br>"How do you know?" Katie whispered. "Something's wrong, I just know it is."

Demi sighed. "You just have to stay positive. He will call."

Katie nodded. She wanted to believe that Demi was right, but there was a feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't had any dreams about Marcus over the past couple of weeks, but the sick just wouldn't go away.

Demi pulled back from Katie. "Are you okay?" she asked slowly.

Katie ran her hand through her hair. "Yeah, you're right."  
>Demi smiled and touched Katie's arm. "I'll see you in a bit for breakfast?"<p>

"Yeah."  
>"Do you want to check on Emily?"<br>Katie nodded. "Yeah, that would be great."  
>Demi smiled again and disappeared.<p>

Katie put her hands on the edge of the sink and stared into the mirror. Maybe Demi was right and Katie was looking too much into this.

Katie pulled her long blond hair back into a ponytail. She just had to believe that everything was okay.

She quickly showered and came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later.

Demi and Emily were playing in the centre of the bedroom with Haley sitting crossed legged on the bed.

Katie threw her wet towel at Haley.

Haley ducked and frowned. "That's not a nice thing to do to your sister-in-law."

Katie rolled her eyes. "It's not like you haven't done it to me before."  
>Demi smiled. "You know, Katie, we've never talked about your honeymoon."<br>Haley stood up. "Not that this again."

"It was very nice. The skiing was great. I discovered that Marcus isn't one for cross country. He's more of a track kind of person," Katie said.

Demi nodded. "Yeah, he doesn't like to get out of his comfort zone. Quidditch makes people stay close to a controlled setting."

Katie nodded. "I know. I don't understand that since it is a very uncontrolled game."

Haley sat back down. "I can handle this."

"How did you do?" Demi asked.

Katie slid down next to Emily. "I let him in the dust with cross country."

"Have you let him hear the end of it?" Haley asked.

Katie looked innocently at Haley. "Would I ever rub something like that in Marcus's face?"  
>Haley snorted. "Um, yeah. If it were me, I'd never let him live it down. "<p>

Katie let out a small laugh.

Demi smiled. "Yeah, you would."

Even though Katie was enjoying her time with Demi and Haley, she could not get her silent mobile out of her head. She just knew that something was wrong. He never went this long without calling back.

She was caught in the middle of two different worlds: the one here and the one back in England. She wanted to be a part of both, but couldn't stand not being a part of both. She supposed this meant that she maybe really didn't know here place. It was a shame to admit it.

Demi rolled a ball at Emily, who grinned when she caught it. "Nathanial and I are thinking about having another child."

Katie nodded. "Marcus and I haven't really discussed that yet."

Demi looked over at Katie. "You're both young, you've got plenty of time for that."

Haley rolled her eyes.

Katie nodded. "I know, but is it something we should talk about?"

"Probably. For all you two know, you could each have different plans for the future."

Katie nodded. "I haven't heard him say for sure if he's going back to Quidditch or school."

Demi nodded. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Katie asked taken aback.

"Are you going to school?"

"Yeah, once this is all over. I just didn't feel like now was the right time."

Demi nodded.

"You could start at the local university here and get your basic classes out of the way," Haley piped in. "It's a Muggle one, but surely they aren't that different."  
>Katie nodded. "Teaching is pretty universal."<p>

"That's what I thought," Haley said, grateful that they were off the baby talk.

Demi looked at Haley. "Speaking of school, aren't you supposed to be there?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm going, I'm going," she muttered as she left the room.

Katie waited until Haley was out of the room before speaking. "You're sending her to a Muggle school?"  
>Demi shook her head. "No, there's a small wizard's school about twenty minutes away. It doesn't board, but since there is a large of number of wizards in the area, people thought it necessary."<p>

"I see."

Demi took Emily into her lap. "You really should think about starting your schooling, that is if you are planning on staying here."  
>Katie looked at Emily. "I really don't know what I'm going to do."<br>"There's no rush."

Katie sighed. "I know, but I just don't know what to do about it."  
>"Nothing comes without a cost."<br>"I know, but I just don't know what to do."

Demi gave Katie a small smile. "It's understandable. Family always leaves us with the most difficult things in life."

"Tell me about it," Katie muttered. She got to her feet. "I probably should go and check on Jenna. Can you stay with Emily."

"Of course," Demi said.

Katie picked up her mobile and headed down the hall. Jenna's door was cracked and Katie peered in. Her stepmother was sitting on the edge of bed, staring straight ahead.

"Jenna?" Katie called in a small voice.

Jenna looked over at the door. "Katie, come in."

Katie pushed open the door and took a small step in. "Are you okay?"

Jenna patted the bed next to her. "I'm doing just fine, honey. How about yourself?"

"Good." Katie really did not want to bring the whole Marcus thing up.

Jenna's hands twitched in her lap. "I can't stop thinking about your father. He let the Death Eaters get him so I could be saved. I feel so guilty for letting them take him."

Katie turned toward her stepmother and took her hands into her own. "You didn't let them take him. He was holding them back in order to give you a chance."  
>Jenna blinked. "I keep telling myself that, but it doesn't make any difference. It's all so hard."<p>

Katie nodded and gave Jenna's hands a squeeze. "Nothing is ever easy."

Jenna gave Katie a small smile. "You could say that one again."  
>"I don't really want to."<br>"I know the feeling."

The two women sat there in silence staring at the wooden wall. Katie welcomed the silence; it was much better than the screams of the dying. She closed her eyes. They would find her father and everything would be okay.

Nathaniel rushed into the room with his mobile grasped tightly in his hand. "I need you downstairs!"

Katie looked at him. He normally was the clam one of the bunch. "What's wrong?"

"Marcus is hurt."

Katie and Jenna jumped to their feet. Katie felt herself pale. She had known all day that something was wrong and this was just proving it.

"How bad?" Jenna whispered.

Nathaniel was halfway down the hall. Demi met them with an armful of clean linen. "Brad didn't say. He just said to be ready and that Mum would be here as soon as possible."  
>"Haley's with Emily," Demi said.<p>

Katie nodded as she took the sheets from Demi.

"I have started getting the downstairs bedroom ready for them," Nathaniel said as they started to descend the stairs. "I just hope it's not that bad."  
>Katie nodded. "Me too."<p>

She followed Nathaniel down to a smallish room. It was big by Katie's standards, but compared to the rest of the house, it was nothing.

Nathaniel motioned for Katie to spread the sheets on the bed. "Between Mum and myself, we can heal almost anything."  
>Katie nodded.<p>

"Where do you want me?" Jenna asked.

Nathaniel looked around the room. "Water. There's a bathroom two doors down."

Jenna nodded and left the room.

Katie looked up at Nathaniel as she finished making the bed. "How did Brad sound?"

Nathaniel took a deep breath. "I'm going to be honest with you, he sounded panicked. I think he was talking to me and trying to calm Marcus down."  
>Katie just nodded. Her heart was racing. She just wanted Marcus to be okay.<p>

A loud pop filled the room as Brad entered with Marcus's limp form in his arms.

"Lay him down him," Nathaniel said.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Brad said as laid Marcus down.

Nathaniel nodded as Jasmine stepped into the room.

All Katie could do was stare at Marcus's bloodied form, knowing that there was just too much blood.

**The next chapter backtracks and switches from Marcus and Brad's point of view. Thanks for reading!**


	31. Chapter 30: Der Letzte Tag

Chapter Thirty: Der Letzte Tag

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Dream_

_ Marcus exited his family's manor in Dover and Apparated to Katie's house. Even though, he had turned of age last summer, the effects of this method of travelling still bothered him. He rested his hands on his knees on as attempted to regain himself. _

_ After a few moments, he walked up to the Bell's two story home. It was just a simple place with nothing fancy. He could see the Christmas tree shinning through the window. He raised his fist and knocked on the front door. He stepped back and waited. _

_ Katie opened the door within seconds. "Hey," she stepped back to let him. Her long blond hair was loose. She was wearing a blue and white sweater that brought out her blue eyes. "I was not sure if you were going to make it." _

_ "They will not miss me for a few hours." Marcus's extended family was so large and they really did not know how was present at family gatherings and who was not. _

_ Katie looked at him. "Okay, then." She stepped toward the living room. "I will tell them that you are here and we can go up to my room for a bit. Take your coat off too," she called as she disappeared into the room. _

_ Marcus shrugged his coat off and draped it over his arms. He felt extremely awkward around Katie's family. He was not sure what they thought of him yet._

_ Katie came back out. "Okay." She led the way upstairs. _

_ Marcus followed closely behind her. Once they reached the room, Katie shut the door behind them and turned on the light. _

_ She went over to her desk and picked up a package. "This is for you." She handed it over to him. _

_ Marcus nodded his thanks as he opened it. Inside there was a pair of gloves and a thick book. _

_ "I am getting sick of holding your cold hand and I thought that you would find it very entertaining to read a Muggle fantasy." _

_ It was a little known fact that he did actually read. "The Lord of the Rings," Marcus read slowly. He had never heard of it. _

_ "It is a very good series," Katie said. _

_ Marcus nodded and handed her gift. He was just going to have to take her word on the book. _

_ Katie opened it and gasped. She was holding the bear and looking at the locket around its' neck. She took the locket off the neck. "Will you put it on me?" _

_ Marcus walked to her and brushed her hair aside. He clasped the chain together. _

_ She turned to him. "I did not put anything inside," he said. _

_ Katie nodded. "I will just have to find something." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Merry Christmas." _

_ "Merry Christmas," Marcus said back. _

_ She deepened the kiss as the soft tune of "Jingle Bell Rock" drifted up through the floor. After a few minutes, she broke the kiss. "We had best get downstairs before Dad comes up here and threatens to murder you in your sleep." _

_ Marcus laughed. _

_ Katie started toward the door. "Oh, the bear is the same one you got me last year." _

_ Marcus followed her. "Oops." _

_ Katie gave Marcus a small smile. "Marcus, you need to go back."_

_ Marcus looked at the gifts and looked back up at her with a confused expression. "Go back where?"_

_ "To the world you belong in."  
>Marcus blinked. <em>

_ Katie shoved him forward. "You have to go."  
>Marcus blinked as he stumbled forward. <em>

_ "Don't let this be, der letzte tag."  
>Marcus frowned. What did that mean?<em>

_ "Der letzte tag," Katie repeated. _

_ "I know what that mean," Marcus pleaded. "Just tell me!"_

_ Katie shook her head. Her blue eyes were big.  
>Marcus took a step forward. "Katie?"<br>Katie gave him one final push before the world changed._

Bellatrix bent down next to Marcus and smirked at him. "Does that hurt?"

Marcus didn't answer. He was fighting the urge to black out.

Bellatrix drew back her foot and kicked Marcus in the side. Marcus could not contain himself and let out a cry of pain, which earned him a round of cheers from the Death Eaters.

"Let me have him," Greyback hissed.

Bellatrix put her hand up to block Greyback, who was making a toward Marcus. "Leave him to die. He's probably only got an hour, so we might as well make him suffer."  
>Greyback's beady eyes focused on Marcus. "And if he lasts longer than that?"<p>

Bellatrix gave Marcus an evil smile. "He's all you."

"You'd better last longer than that, I want to have some fun with you."

Marcus's gulped. He really didn't want to die. Pain was shooting through his body as he watched them walk away. He really didn't want to die here. Gasping in pain, Marcus forced himself up onto his uninjured side.

There was a tree a few metres away. If he could just make it that, then he could came up with a plan. Those two metres were the longest metres in Marcus's life. Once he made it there, he sat up gasping against the tree with one hand on his side and the other on his stomach.

His heart sank as he realized that he was nowhere close to the Apparition zone. He pulled his shirt and robes back him as he looked around. He had to think quick because he could literally feel his life pouring out of him.

The ground was covered in blood, too much blood. His vision was getting fogging and black dots covered most of his eyes. He blinked, hoping it would clear his vision, but nothing changed.

A hand covered Marcus's mouth causing him to jump. Marcus felt his heart race. It hadn't been an hour already? He had more time, he just knew it!  
>"It's just me," his father's voice filled Marcus's head.<p>

Marcus gulped as he struggled to look around.

Brad's face filled Marcus's vision. "Marcus, I need you to look at me."  
>Marcus blinked as he fought to get his vision in focus.<p>

"Marcus, please."  
>Marcus finally got to the point where he could see all of Brad's face.<p>

Brad ran his hand along Marcus's face. "It's okay. You're going to be alright," he whispered. "I'm going to have to pick you up and run."

Marcus just nodded, not believing his dad that everything was going to be okay; nothing was ever going to be the same again. He knew this was going hurt.

Brad bent down and picked up his son. He winced slightly as Marcus let out a cry of pain, the cry went right to his heart. Hurting a his blood was the hardest thing in the world. There was no time to be gentle. Brad had no idea where the Death Eaters or when they would appear.

Brad took off running into the woods and did not stop until the Malfoy property was out of line. He knelt down and laid Marcus gently down. Marcus's eyes were losing focus.

Brad snapped his fingers in Marcus's face. "Stay with me."  
>Marcus blinked, which Brad took as a good sign.<p>

Brad looked at Marcus's bloodied front. "Move your hands."  
>Marcus looked wide eyed at his father.<p>

Brad reached from Marcus's hands. "Marcus, I've got to look," he whispered as he moved Marcus's hands and putting them on the ground.

Brad reached from the hem of Marcus's shirt and started to lift it up. Marcus tried to pull away from Brad, but Brad held him down with ease.

The shirt's material was sticking to the wound on Marcus's stomach. Brad tried to be as gentle as possible as he worked the material lose. The entire time Marcus was trying not to cry out. Brad's heart sank when he saw Marcus's stomach. It was deep, much too deep for Brad to do anything about it.

Marcus's eyes were drifting shut.

Brad gently slapped Marcus. "Don't you dare close your eyes."

"I'm trying not to," Marcus whispered. His voice was soft and shaking.

Brad pulled up the side of Marcus's shirt. He looked at the side wound, which wasn't as deep as the stomach wound. It appeared to have missed Marcus's heart.

Brad pulled Marcus's shirt down. "You can put your hands back up."  
>Marcus's right hand briefly touched Brad's own. Brad frowned as the coldness raced through his body. "Marcus, are you cold?"<p>

Marcus didn't answer.

Brad lifted Marcus up and held him close. Marcus was shaking. "Marcus?"  
>"Maybe."<br>Brad rolled his eyes. If Marcus still had a sense of humour, it meant that he was still with Brad. Brad held Marcus closer to him, hoping that his own body heat would offer Marcus a little warmth.

While still holding Marcus, Brad reached into his own pocket and pulled out his mobile. He punched in Jasmine's number.

"Hello?" Jasmine said after she picked up.

"I've got him and he's hurt," Brad said.

Jasmine paused. "Okay, what do you need to me do?"  
>"I have the chest and I'm going to try to take him to Nathanial's." Brad looked down at Marcus who's breathing had grown weaker.<p>

"I'll use the other one to meet you there."

"Okay," Brad answered. "And Jasmine?"  
>"Yes?"<br>Brad looked back down at Marcus, who had slipped into unconsciousness. "Don't be too long."  
>"I won't."<br>Brad took the box out of his other box and picked Marcus up. He only hoped that Marcus held on long enough for them to get help. Brad stepped into the box and soon the English countryside disappeared leaving them in a world of darkness.

Brad stumbled forward as he entered Nathanial's hours.

Nathaniel nodded toward the bed. "Put him down there."

"Lay him down him," Nathaniel said.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Brad said as laid Marcus down.

Nathaniel nodded as Jasmine stepped into the room.

Jasmine pushed Katie and Demi to the side as she made her to Marcus's side.

Nathaniel was pulled up Marcus's shirt and looking at the wounds. His forehead was filled with deep frown lines. He took out his wound and moved it up and down Marcus's body, muttering something under his breath.

Jasmine went to Nathaniel and joined him.

Brad looked nervously on. The wounds were not getting smaller.

Jasmine looked up at Nathaniel. "It's poison, isn't it?"

Nathaniel took a deep breath. "Yeah and it's getting closer to his heart."

Jenna came into the room carrying a bowl of water.

Nathaniel handed Katie and Brad some washcloths. "Clean the wounds and keep an eye on him."  
>Katie nodded. "Where are you going?"<br>"To see if any of my books have anything to slow the poison down."

Brad wasn't sure if it was wise for both of them to be leaving, but they did have the most knowledge on these kinds of things.

Brad bent over Marcus. He really didn't want to ask the next question. "What happens if you don't find something?"

Jasmine and Nathaniel looked at each other.

"Then, he will die," Jasmine whispered.

With one final look, they walked out of the room.

**I know, I know cliff hanger. I hope to have new chapters up September or October. The next part will only be ten chapters. Thanks for reading! Oh, almost forgot, der letzte tag is German for the last day. **


	32. Chapter 31: Amaranth

Chapter Thirty-One: Amaranth

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie looked down at Marcus's limp form, Jasmine's last hunting words echoing in the forefront of her mind. He could die. She had always thought that magic had a solution for everything, but what if there were some things that magic couldn't fix?

Jenna came rushing back into the room. "I've got the water."

Brad finished pulling Marcus's shirt off and dipped a washcloth into the water. He gently wiped the cloth against Marcus's stomach. "This is the part that I'm happy he passed out."

Katie smiled as she followed Brad's movements. There was too much blood and the fact that Marcus was still bleeding really put Katie on edge. How much more could he lose before he bleed to death?

She pushed aside his arm and applied pressure to his side. She did have to agree with Brad on this one. It was a good thing that Marcus had passed out because he would not had held still for them. She really didn't know how Brad managed to move Marcus.

Brad rinsed out his washcloth and set it on the dresser. "I'm going to lift him up and you two can use these to bind his wounds." Brad pulled out a roll of medical tape out of his pocket and handed it Katie.

Katie nodded as Jenna joined them.

"How long can you hold him up?" Jenna asked.

Brad shrugged. "He's dead weight, but he's not that heavy."

Jenna looked like she still had her doubts, but didn't say anything further.

"Ready?" Brad asked.

Katie nodded as Brad lifted Marcus's upper half off the bed. Together, Katie and Jenna wrapped the tape around Marcus's stomach and chest, making sure that it was tight. Once they were done, Brad gently placed Marcus back on the bed.

"Now, we just wait," Brad said.

Katie sat on the edge of the bed and began to stroke Marcus's dark hair. The only indication he gave of being alive was the slow rising and falling of his chest. Her fingers brushed against his forehead, causing her heart to race.

"His head's hot," Katie said.

Jenna put her hand to Marcus's forehead. "He is a little warm." She turned to Brad and took out her wand. "He shouldn't have a fever already, should he?"

Even though Brad shrugged, Katie could still see the worry on his face.

Jenna ran her wand over Marcus's forehead. When she removed it, the tip of it was a dull red. Without saying a word, she looked at everyone.

Katie took a deep breath.

"I thought everyone could use a cup of tea," Demi said as she stepped into the room with Haley right behind her.

Katie smiled at Demi. "That would be great."

Demi nodded and disappeared.

Haley sat down on the floor. "How is he?"  
>No one answered.<p>

Haley picked at carpet, but didn't ask again.

"Should we get Nathanial and Jasmine?" Katie asked as she went back to stroking Marcus's hair.

"They should be back down in a couple of minutes," Brad answered.

Demi stepped back into the room with a pot of tea and a package of paper cups jammed underneath her arm. She poured everyone a cup.

Katie took a long drink and looked down on Marcus's pale face. She wanted him to open his eyes; it seemed like it had been forever since she looked into his soft brown eyes.

Jasmine stepped into the room with a large book in her hands. Nathanial wasn't far behind her.

"We think we found something," Jasmine said as she opened the book to a marked page. "It's probably a long shot, but nothing else looks like it will work."

"Bezoar will slow it down, but it won't completely saving," Nathanial went on. "It figures that they would use something that broke the rule. Any idea which Death Eater did this?  
>"My money is on Bellatrix," Brad said.<p>

Nathanial nodded.

Katie looked at the spin of Jasmine's book: _Forgotten Methods of Healing: The Lost Lands of the Worlds. _

Jasmine looked back down at the book. "_Due to its vast ability to home rare herbs, ancient witches and wizards thought it would be best to hide it before the world could abuse it's amazing powers. The last known record of Arctica is over a thousand years old. Many have tried to find Arctica, but none have been successful. It is said that you have to have pure intentions to help those in need and there must be no personal gain involved," _Jasmine read. "_Arctica is believed to the only home of the never ending flower, Amaranth. Amaranth is known for its vast healing powers."_

Jasmine flipped forward a couple of pages. _"The ancient tribes of Africa were one of the first non-wizard peoples to realize that Amaranth was not part of the so-called Muggle world. They noticed that flower never seemed to die. Generations would watch the same flower, but it did not die. Wizards grew concerned about Muggles seeing the planet and exposing their wrold. So, ancient wizards killed all known Amaranth planets in the world, with the expectation of those located in Arctica. Those left in Arctica were sealed off from the world and no one has seem Amaranth since then._

_ Amaranth is believed to save people from Death. It will not allow for someone to live forever, but will allow them to overcome a serious injury or illness. This never ending flower is a life source for those who most deserve to live. If a person has the wrong intention of using Amaranth, such as for personal wealth, the flower will turn on him and kill everyone close to him. The flower is not forgiving."  
><em>Everyone looked up at Jasmine as she finished reading.

"Are you saying that's our only hope to save him?" Brad asked.

Jasmine and Nathanial nodded.

Katie looked at the floor. It seemed like they were putting a lot of faith in something that they weren't even sure existed anymore.

Brad got to his feet. "Well, we'd best get started and decide who's going and who's staying."  
>"Jasmine and Nathaniel need to stay and Jenna's not strong enough to go," Katie said.<p>

"You've got Emily," Jenna informed Katie.

"If you stay here, she'll be fine with you."

"He's your husband."

Katie nodded. "I know, but there's not much I can do here."

"She's got a point," Haley offered.

"And Haley's too young to go," Jasmine put in.

Haley gave her mother a look.

"I can go," Demi offered.

Nathaniel looked at his wife. "I don't think Jenna can handle the kids on her own."  
>"Haley will be here," Demi pointed out.<p>

Nathaniel looked at Haley. "Can you handle the twins?"

"I suppose," Haley muttered.

Jasmine looked at Katie and Brad. "You two can't go by yourselves."  
>"There's really no one else," Brad pointed out.<p>

Katie's mind was racing. There was somebody else. "What about Damon? He would be down with this. He helped with Fairyland and who knows what else and hasn't said a word."  
>Brad and Jasmine exchanged looks.<p>

"He's always been hovering with us, so why can't he help with this?" Katie went on. "Besides, Marcus is his best friend."

"I suppose," Jasmine said after a few minutes of silence. "How do we get in contact with him?"  
>"That one is easy," Haley said as she picked up Marcus's mobile. "Text or call?"<br>"How are we going to explain this one in general?" Brad asked.

"I don't know."  
>A sudden thought entered Katie's mind. "Arctica is bound to be a big place. Wouldn't we need more than three people?"<br>Jasmine looked at Katie. "What are you saying?"

"What about Remus? I know that Tonks can't go, but Remus would probably be down for it."  
>"Remus would be a good one."<p>

Haley was tapping away on Marcus's mobile. "He has both of their numbers in here."

"That doesn't solve our wording problem," Nathaniel put in.

"Just tell them like it is," Haley piped in. "There's really no sense in sugar coating it."  
>"She has a point," Demi added.<p>

"Fine," Jasmine said," but give me the mobile. I think they would take it better if I told them."

Haley reluctantly handed the device over. Jasmine disappeared out into the hall to make the calls.

Katie turned to Brad. "Do we have enough heavy clothes to wear?"

"I'm not sure on that one."

Jasmine stepped back into the room. "Both can come. They agreed to meet you at your house, Katie."

Katie nodded and bent down to kiss Marcus's hot forehead. "We probably should be on our way, then."

Jasmine hugged Brad. "Be careful."

Out of the corner of her eye, Katie could see Demi and Nathanial saying their goodbyes.

Jasmine handed Brad the chest. With a final look at Marcus, Katie joined Brad and Demi in the centre of the room. She felt a familiar pull at her stomach and soon all were gone.

Katie landed on her back in front of the sofa. She slowly got her feet and looked around. Magic never ceased to amaze her. It was hard to believe that an attack had taken place here just a few weeks ago.

Brad pulled himself slowly to his feet. "They should be coming at anytime."

Katie nodded. "I thought Damon would have been here already considering we can see his house."

Demi shrugged. "Hard to tell."

The front door pushed open and Remus and Damon, dressed in heavy clothes, stepped in.

"I thought I heard you in here," Damon said.

"You were right."  
>Remus and Damon started to move closer.<p>

"Wait!" Brad's voice made them stop. He had his wand pointed at them. "What were the first words I said to you when word of You-Know-Who's return got out?"  
>Remus had his own wand out. "We had a long and difficult fight against. The torch had to be handed over to the next generation."<p>

Brad slowly lowered his wand.

"How is he?" Damon asked.

Brad shook his head. "Not good, but the knife missed his lung."  
>Damon just nodded.<p>

Katie gulped and started up the stairs. "I'll see what kind of winter clothes we had up here."  
>Demi looked like she wanted to follow Katie, but didn't move, a move that Katie was grateful for.<p>

Katie stepped into the master bedroom and began opening drawers. She knew that Marcus had a couple of heavy things that were too big on him and bound to fit Brad. She found what she could and carried them downstairs.

A few minutes alone could make a difference. However, Katie's head had been clear beforehand. She didn't understand why she really wasn't feeling anything. Sure, she was worried, but it really wasn't affecting her.

Katie handed the clothes to Brad. "I don't know if these will fit."

Brad looked at the clothes. "They probably will."

Katie started pulling on layers.

"I was just telling them that we need to head out of here soon," Brad said as his head poked out of a hooded sweatshirt.

Katie nodded as she pulled her final layers on. "I'm ready whenever the rest of you are."

Brad held the box in his hands. "Grab hands and let's go."

Katie reached for Damon's hand and took it as the familiar surroundings of home disappeared and a world of white appeared.

"It's still here," Remus said. "I really can't believe it!"

"I guess some myths are true," Demi said.


	33. Chapter 32: Whispers of Rain

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Whispers of Rain

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback **

**"Marcus, MARCUS!" **

** Someone was shaking him and yelling his name.**

** He woke up with a jerk and found himself looking at his thirteen-year-old sister, Haley. "Dad said that you have to get up."**

** Marcus rolled over and looked at his clock. It was nine o'clock in the morning. **

** Haley hit him. "Now! The little ones are wanting to open their presents!"**

** Marcus groaned. His stepbrothers were here with their families. "Give me a second to put some clothes on."**

** Haley stepped toward the door. "Yeah, you might need those."**

** She slammed it behind her. **

He could still feel it in him even though he knew it was gone. The ghost of the knife was piercing his insides, causing the pain to race through his body. He wish that it would go away. He wished that he could just open his eyes.

There was something else racing through his veins. He could feel his body fighting to get it out, but this invader wasn't leaving. It was holding on and calling in aids just as fast as his body was fighting it.

He looked at the darkness. He was alone.

They say that when you are in this state that you could hear voices. There were no voices for him. He was completely alone.

He remembered a dream that he had all those years ago. He had known that this was going to happen, but he didn't listen to what his soul was saying. He just ignored it and went forward. He hadn't even thought about that dream for so long.

Why had he been so stupid?  
>He really could kick himself sometimes and this was one of those times. All the signs had been there and, yet, he had done nothing about it.<p>

He could still even remember the panic he had felt after waking up from that nightmare. It had felt so real.

He blinked knowing that he had a long fight ahead of him. Why did everything just have to be so difficult?  
>He slowly got to his feet and walked to the edge of the room. He put his hand on the wall and applied pressure. Nothing happened; the wall didn't even give a little. He looked up, but there seemed to be no end to the darkness.<p>

He really was trapped in his mind.

Haley looked down at the sleeping children, knowing it was only a matter of time before they woke up and demanded her to take care of them. She really didn't want to be here, feeling like there was nothing she could do. She knew that her needs were better needed somewhere else.

Yet, she hadn't fought with them. This was her older brother and she was not going to let him die because of some little hissy fit.

She sat down in the doorway and stared down the long hall. Things were really bad. She only had to see the blood to know that his life was in danger.

Haley sighed and looked back into the room. If looking after the children was the most she could do, then she would so do.

Amee and Dara rushed into the room, laughing.

Haley shot them a look. "Emily's sleeping."  
>Dara peered into Emily's crib. "No, she's not."<p>

Haley got to her feet and looked into Emily's crib. Sure enough, she was staring up at Haley with big blue eyes.

"Told ya'," Dara said.

Amee sat in the centre of the room and took out her dolls. "So, we can play in here now."  
>Haley took Emily of out the crib. "I guess so."<p>

Dara picked up a doll and looked around. "Where's Katie?"

"She had to run an errand," Haley said as she handed Emily a toy.

"Is Marcus going to die?" Amee asked as she looked up at Haley with big eyes.

Haley pretended to be busy with Emily. "What makes you think that?"

Amee starting combing her doll's hair. "I saw Grandpa carry him in."  
>Haley was not sure how to answer that one. "Marcus just got hurt, like he does when he plays Quidditch. He'll be alright."<br>"Oh," Amee said in the only way that an innocent child could. "So, we just jump on him for a few days?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah."  
>"I jumped on him once when he was hurt and he got really mad at me," Dara replied. "I didn't know he was hurt and I didn't mean too."<br>"I'm sure he's still not mad at you," Haley said.

Dara nodded. "I know, but I didn't like it when he yelled at me."

Haley smiled. She wished that she could be young and innocent again. She wished that she could believe, like Dara and Amee, that everything would be fine in a couple of days. Innocence was not a burden. It was a gift and something that had to be held onto.

Emily reached up and touched one of Haley's wavy locks. Emily smiled as she gave the hair a small yank. Haley winced. It was amazing how strong babies could be.

Amee looked up at Haley. "So, since Marcus and Katie had a baby, when are going you going to buy one?"

Haley chocked.

"You should pick out a girl. Boys are smelly," Amee went on.

Haley really didn't know what to say to that. She wondered how their conversation could turn to this.

"You should find out what factory Marcus and Katie got Emily from. They seemed to have picked a good one," Dara told Haley.

Haley tried not to roll her eyes. It was going to be a long day.

Jenna came up a few hours later to relieve Haley of her duties, which Haley was more than happy to give up.

Haley crept downstairs and into Marcus's room, where Jasmine and Nathanial where bent over him. She slowly walked in and stood next to her mother.

Marcus's face was pale with beads of sweat running down it. His cheeks were covered with a faint red. His breathing was laboured, but wasn't raspy, which Haley took as a good sign.

"How is he?" Haley slowly asked.

"The bleeding stopped," Jasmine asked.

"That's good, isn't it?" Haley asked.

Nathaniel nodded. "Yeah. We still have no idea when he'll wake up. It might not be until the others get back with the flower or it might be longer. His body's putting up a pretty good fight. So, he's tried."  
>Haley nodded. She really didn't want to ask the next question, but no one was flat out giving her the answer. "Is he stable?"<p>

Nathaniel didn't answer right away. "It's hard to tell. I'm not really sure what this poison is capable of doing to him. He's got a strong immune system and he's young, but the knife pierced him twice and I don't know who long it was in him." He paused. "This is an example of how a wizard's medicine is better than a Muggle's. We can help someone hand on for about twice as long."  
>Haley briefly closed her eyes. She knew that things were not good.<p>

Jasmine set her washcloth done. "I'm going to go grab something to eat. Does anyone else want something?"

"Yeah," Nathaniel whispered.

Haley shook her head. "I ate with the little kids."  
>Jasmine nodded and disappeared.<p>

Haley picked Marcus's shirt off a chair and sat down. She peered over at her brother. "Do you need anything for him from upstairs?"

Nathaniel was filling a vial up with a potion. "I don't think so."  
>Haley nodded.<p>

Nathaniel walked over to Marcus, moved his head over, and placed the needle in Marcus's neck. "There."

"What was that?" Haley asked.

"It'll help his body and make him able to relax. He's really tense right now and this is the only way to calm him down. He needs to relax or he may not pull out of it."

Haley snorted. "Good luck with getting him to relax."  
>"I know and that's why he has a hard time healing."<p>

Haley nodded. "Is he in pain?"

"I really don't know. I've been giving him things for pain, just in case. He probably will be when he comes around."  
>Jasmine came back into the room and handed Nathaniel a sandwich. "Which is why it's important to keep an eye on him at all times."<p>

Haley was starting to feel like she was getting lectured, which she hated. She looked away from her mother. "In other words, since I don't have anything to do right now, you want me to sit here with him."

Jasmine gave Haley a small smile. "Would you mind?"

Haley shook her head. "I guess not."

"We'll be back within the hour," Jasmine said as she and Nathaniel stepped out of the room.

Marcus could feel the darkness overpowering his body. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but knew he was dying. Life was slipping away. What was the point of living if he couldn't see his only family again?  
>He could hear voices now, but wasn't sure what the voice were saying. They didn't sound happy and he wanted to yell out to them that they should be happy. Happiness was what made the world go round.<p>

Marcus stared out into the world of darkness. It had to get better than this. Death couldn't be spending forever left in darkness. What about all of those happy scenes of people being reunited in death? Was that all a lie?

The rain was starting to fall. It's whispers calling out to him, telling to hold on and to never give up hope. It was kind of funny how something as simple could call out to you.

He closed his eyes. He really did need to get out of his mind. It was a rather scary place to be.

Marcus opened his dark eyes and hoped to see light, but there was nothing there. He sighed. What did he have to do to get out of this world? Was there no simple answer?  
>He wanted to be touched, to make sure that he was at least still alive. He hoped he was, but there was really nothing to prove it. There was just nothing at all to put an end to this madness.<p>

**"Marcus, I'm serious!"**

** What are you going to do about it?"**

** Katie reached up under his shirt and tickled his stomach. He stopped tickling her. "That's cheating."**

** She looked innocently up at him. "Nope, it's not."**

** Marcus pinned her down to the bed and crawled over top of her. Their faces were centimetres apart. He also pinned her arms down. "Now, what are you going to do?"**

** Katie smiled a wicked smile at him. "This."**

** "Huh?"**

** "That's for me to know and you to find out."**

** Marcus looked confused. **

** Katie drew her legs up. Marcus jumped back thinking that she was going to kneel him in a bad spot. However, Katie had other intentions and without his knowledge, he was going exactly what she wanted him to do. She sit up quickly and shoved him from the top bunk. He landed on the floor with a loud thump. **

** Just as he was sitting up, the door opened and Katie's father, Jim, stuck his head in. "What on earth on you two doing in here?" He had not noticed Marcus on the floor. **

** "Nothing," Katie said. **

** "That hurt," Marcus said at the same time. **

** Jim looked at Marcus on the floor and then at Katie. He shook his head on walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. **

** Marcus looked up at Katie. "He didn't even ask if I was okay."**

** Katie responded by throwing a pillow at him, which hit him in the face. **

It was her. She had always been the whispers of the rain.


	34. Chapter 33: Stardust

Chapter Thirty-Three: Stardust

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie looked around at the world of white, unsure of even where to start. The sky above was filled with both sun and moon. She could faintly make out the faint stardust, but no one known stars where in sight. It was just a wasteland where time didn't seem to exist.

Damon looked at Brad. "What exactly are we supposed to be looking for?"

"Amaranth," Brad answered.

Remus stared out into the white world. "For a place that is supposed to home to all these different types of herbs, I sure don't see any form of life."

Katie pulled her coat closer to her. The wind was starting to pick up causing the snow to lift up off the land. If they didn't move soon, they would be lost in this world.

Demi nodded toward a mound of rocks. "Over there!"  
>Katie ran beside Brad. She could feel the snow licking her heels. The wind was spending icy blasts down her head. She didn't dare look back for fear of being surrounded by an wintery death.<p>

Katie ducked down in the rocks behind Demi.. Even though the snow's howls filled the hollows of the rock, none reached the inside.

Remus tried lighting his wand, but nothing happened. He looked at the others, but didn't say a word.

"Well, that went well," Demi muttered.

Katie put her hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. She stared out at the tunnel of rocks. "We could just walk in here. It couldn't hurt seeing as we really don't know where we are."  
>Demon pulled himself to his feet. "Anything is better than going back out there. I don' think this place likes us too much."<br>Katie followed the group down a dark tunnel. "It was sealed off for a reason."  
>"I'm starting to think that reason was more than protecting it was Muggles," Brad said. "Careful, it's wet up here and there's a step right in front of you, Katie."<br>As Katie stepped down a level, she could hear the faint sounds of running water. She looked too her right and could faintly see the white of rapid moving waves. "Look."

The other peered down.

"Water," Demi whispered. "How can there be running water?"

"It is a magical land, there," Damon said sarcastically.

Demi just gave him a look. "Funny."  
>Katie was still frowning down at the water. "If there's water, there must still be life or at least there was a one time."<br>"We just follow it, I guess," Brad said. "The problem is which way does it run. We really shouldn't spilt up. Who knows that this land will do to us?"  
>"I didn't noticed it until we got here," Katie replied. "I think we should keep going to the way we are. It seems to me that Amaranth would be at the end of the water."<br>"Life at the mouth," Demi echoed.

Katie nodded.

Damon and Remus started walking down the tunnel with Katie and the others on their heels. Katie kept both eyes on the ground in front of her while her eyes listened to the roar of the water below. The water was getting louder, but there no end to the tunnels.

The wind above was screaming down on the tunnels, but the heavy rock prevented any of it from reaching them. A couple of the wind gusts were so powerful that it shook the tunnels. Katie hated to think about what was going on up there.

Ahead, Katie could see something twinkling. She had to look twice to make sure that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. Yet, there is was.

"There," Katie whispered.

The others looked ahead.

Katie pushed past Brad and Demi to have a better view. It looked like stardust with its brilliant colours. She took another step forward, but was afraid to go much further in case her mind was playing tricks on her.

Brad stared at it as well. "What do you think?"

"I really don't know," Remus muttered. "We can't use magic here and I just don't know."  
>"This is why we came here," Katie said. "We have to try it."<br>Even though Katie couldn't see it, she knew that everyone was looking at each other.

Katie walked forward. She was going to see what that light was with or without them. After a few seconds, she heard the others slowly falling in behind her.

The lights were getting brighter as Katie approached it. She could see each light dancing against the cave wall. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but knew better. The lights, to Katie, were what Veelas were to men.

Katie stumbled, but a pair of arms saved her from falling over into the water. "Thanks."

"No problem," Damon said. He was staring ahead. "What do you think?"

Katie didn't answer.

"Do you think this is it?"  
>"I hope so. There's something here, but I can't be sure until we are closer."<br>"I hope it is for Marcus's sake."  
>"I do too."<br>Katie really didn't know what other option, besides dying, that Marcus had. The Amaranth just had to work. It just had to. So many people needed to him to make their world go round.

Damon took another step forward. "Shall we?"

Katie took Damon's hand. "We shall."  
>They stepped down.<p>

Katie reached out, as if she could touch the stars, but they just danced out of her reach. They danced toward a small hole in the centre of the large cave room.

Frowning, Katie took a small step toward. The stars blinked at her and began forming a dome over the hole.

"What the hell?" Damon muttered under his breath.

Katie looked up at the different coloured stars. "I'm not sure. I think it wants us to follow it."

Damon looked up at the stars, then at the hole. "I don't see how we can really fit down there."

Brad, Remus, and Demi joined them.

"It couldn't hurt to look, could it?" Demi asked slowly. "I mean, what have we got to lose?"  
>"That was what I was thinking," Katie said as she stepped forward.<p>

The stars pushed apart as Katie approached them. She could feel her heart in her throat. She really didn't know why she was afraid, maybe she was just afraid of what this thing could be. Maybe she didn't want it to be nothing.

_"Come closer," _the stars whispered. _"Let us show you what we have. Everything you've ever wanted lies with us. All you have to do is come closer and we will show you."  
><em>Katie looked back at the others. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Remus asked.

"The stars," Katie said. "They are talking to me."  
>Remus shook his head. "No one is talking. I think you need to come back here."<br>Katie looked ahead, but didn't start back.

_"You're heart is pure," _the stars started in again. _"You have the greatest gift possible to offer someone: love. You want to save someone you love. You think he is important to the task ahead. You know that he has a great life to live, yet. He's too young to go. Come here and see all we have to offer."_

Katie looked at the stars. "How do I know what you are saying is true?" she whispered.

_"You don't, but you have just trust us."_

Katie stepped forward.

"Don't do it," Remus said.

Katie didn't listen.

The starts collapsed on her, showering her in a rain of glitter.

"KATIE!" Brad yelled.

Katie held her hand up and looked at her glittery arm as the stars danced on her skin. She smiled and turned back to the others. "It's okay. Stay where you are."  
><em>"Amaranth is waiting on you," <em>the stars said. _"We will show it to you."_

Katie nodded. "Take me to it, if you please."

_"Yes, miss, we can show you all our secrets. You are not like the others who only want to let themselves live."  
><em>Katie felt a pull at her stomach as the stars pulled her down into the small hole. She could hear the others calling her name, telling her to come back to them, but she didn't.

She softy landed on the floor. She blinked and looked around. She was in a living world, surrounded by different coloured herbs-herbs that she had never seen before.

Katie stared in wonder. Who knew what these plants were capable of? Could they bring someone back from the dead?

The stars danced around her. _"Come see what we have. We have the starlight you are looking for. Let us show you."_

Katie let the stars guide her into a back corner of the room. She could feel a certain power pulling her to it. She couldn't be sure what it was, but knew it was good. There was a difference between being close to something that was good and something that wasn't. No words could really describe it, but there was just a different feeling.

_"See what we have for you. You will get everything you ever wanted."_

The stars motioned for Katie to kneel down in the soft dirt. Katie looked around, unsure of what she should do.

_"You are so close. Don't back out now."  
><em>Katie nodded and looked around. She could feel the power, but didn't see what the stars wanted her to see. In this corner, there was nothing more than the smoothness of dirt.

_"Push the dirt aside," _the stars commanded..

Katie looked down at the dirt and sighed as she started pushing it aide. The dirt was far warmer than it should have been. She dug about ten centimetres or so down before something soft brushed her fingertips.

She quickly pushed the rest aside and sat back on her heels. There it was!

The Amaranth's leaves waved as the stars circled it. It's grand pink flower stared up at her as a newborn does at the sight of its mother. It was small, not much bigger than a quill.

"What do I do?" Katie asked the stars.

_"Hold your hand out and see what it has to offer you," _the stars whispered.

Katie held out her right hand to the Amaranth.

The Amaranth slowly made its way to Katie. She wasn't sure if she should let it come closer or pull her hand away. It was a moving flower, after all. However, she held still and allowed the flower to move into her hand.

She looked at it and, then, at where it had been. The Amaranth was still there. Frowning, she looked up at the stars.

_"It's the never ending flower," _the stars whispered. _"There will always be one here as long as the user's intentions are pure."  
><em>Katie nodded.

_"Let us take you back to the one you love."_

"What about the others?" Katie asked.

_"We will make sure that they are safe as well."_

Katie got to her feet. "Thank you."

_"It was all on you."  
><em>Katie felt a tug at her stomach as the world of herbs disappeared. She blinked and the main entrance of Nathanial's house appeared.

"That was the strangest thing ever," Damon muttered as he appeared next to Katie.

Demi, Brad, and Remus appeared soon after with confused looks on their faces.

Katie ignored them as she headed down the hall to Marcus, the Amaranth glowing in her hand. _  
><em>


	35. Chapter 34: The Essence of Silence

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Essence of Silence

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

_Italics: Dream_

Haley looked up as Katie rushed into the room with a small plant in the palm of her hand. "That's it? I thought it would be bigger."  
>Katie nodded. "I did too, but this is it."<br>Nathanial jumped to his feet and looked at the Amaranth. "Can I have this? I hate to have to crush up something so beautiful, but there's no other choice."  
>Katie handed the plant over to Nathanial. "Has there been any change?"<p>

Nathanial shook his head. "But that's a good thing."  
>Damon, Brad, and Remus stepped into the room.<p>

Brad went over to his son's side and put his hand on Marcus's forehead. "He's still warm."  
>"But it hasn't changed," Haley said.<p>

"I know."

Haley stared up her brother. Even though Marcus and Brad had their differences, she knew that they both cared for each other.

Nathanial came back into the room a few minutes later, followed by Jasmine and Demi, with a glass of pink liquid. "He has to drink this."  
>Haley looked at Marcus's limp form. "And how are you going to get him to do that?"<br>"We have to try to pull him back."  
>Haley snorted. "That's easier said than done."<br>Nathanial pulled out his wand as he walked over to Marcus. "But we have to try."  
>Katie started to move over, but Nathanial stopped her. "You should stay close to him."<br>Katie nodded.

Jasmine took the glass from Nathanial.

Nathanial placed his wand directly over Marcus's heart and began chanting slowly under his breath. With each word, Marcus started stirring, but his eyes were not opening. It seemed like he was fighting.

Haley leaned in closer. She knew that this was powerful magic, much powerful than anything she could do right now.

Nathanial's focus never went off of Marcus. "Get ready," he said without looking up.

Jasmine came closer to Marcus.

Marcus's dark eyes opened. He looked around the room in panic.

"You're alright," Katie muttered to him.

Marcus closed his eyes, but felt Katie tap his shoulder. He looked up at her, wondering why she was dressed in such heavy clothes.

"You have to drink this," Jasmine said as she handed the glass to Marcus.

Marcus stared at the pink liquid as he tried to ignore the pain that was starting to spread through his body.

"Marcus, now," Jasmine ordered.

Marcus jerked his head up at the sound of his name. He looked once again at the cup in his hand and the funny pink liquid. He didn't like putting pink stuff in his body; it always made him act and feel different.

"If you don't do it, one of us is going to dump it down your throat," Jasmine said.

"I can do it," Haley offered.

Marcus gave Haley a look. He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but every movement sent pain racing through his body, causing him to feel sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes in order to catch his breath.

"Here," Katie's voice filled his head. She gently put her arm around him and helped him slowly up. It hurt, but not as bad. "Now, drink."

Marcus looked at the liquid in his hand before holding the cup to his lips. The first little sip made him gag. He shoved the glass away as the burning and bitter liquid made its way down his throat. He could feel it spreading through his body.

Katie caught the glass and brought it back to him. "Oh, no, you don't. You have to keep drinking."  
>Marcus winced as Katie held the glass up to his lips. "Come on," she coaxed.<p>

Marcus was aware of the fact that everyone's eyes was on him, pressuring him to drink the liquid. He didn't like it. It made him feel like he was in the Quidditch stadium again.

Katie grabbed his head and gently turned it back to her. "Marcus, you can do this. You're stronger than this."  
>He looked at the glass again just before Katie held it up to his lips.<p>

"Drink," she whispered.

Marcus could fell the liquid on his lips, burning them. He dreaded what the rest of the liquid would be like as it went down.

Closing his eyes and bracing himself, he opened his mouth and began to drink. The liquid burned his body, threatening to come back up.

"Just a little bit more," Katie whispered.

Marcus could feel the liquid inside of him. It just wasn't in his stomach, but all over his body. It seemed to rushing to certain areas of him, pushing something out of him.

"One more time," Katie said.

The final drops of the liquid were sent racing down his throat. He couldn't do this anymore. Whatever this thing was, it was poisoning him. He just had to get it out of his body.

Katie handed the glass back to Jasmine.

Nathanial bent over Marcus, pulling his blankets down. Marcus felt the cold air on his body, but couldn't find the strength to snap at Nathanial, who had now started pressing on Marcus's stomach.

Marcus reached out and grabbed his brother's arm as he got closer to the wound. "Don't even think about it."

Nathanial pulled his arm out of Marcus's grip. "You are making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be."

Marcus didn't respond. It just took too much energy.

Nathanial started applying pressure to Marcus's stomach. Marcus tried to move away, but his dad held him down.

The pain was spreading. His body was rejecting whatever they had made him drink. He was trying hard not to be sick, but did not know how much longer he could keep it inside of him.

Nathanial stepped back from Marcus. "All done."  
>Marcus stared ahead. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't keep this inside of him anymore.<p>

"Are you okay?" Katie asked.

The vile was building in the back of his throat. "I think I'm going to be sick."  
>Someone shoved a bowl underneath Marcus's chin just in time. The pink liquid reformed in his mouth and escaped in a mixture of pink and black, causing Marcus's stomach to turn even more. What was happening to him?<p>

"Right on time," Jasmine muttered. She handed Marcus a cup of water and a washcloth. "Here."  
>Marcus wiped his mouth off and took a sip of water.<p>

"Your body is fighting to get the poison of you." Jasmine took the bowl of mess away from him. "You should have some strange dreams the next time you sleep, but you'll be alright."  
>Marcus just nodded as he lowered himself back down into his pillows. He was still aware that all eyes were on him, but no one was saying a word. The essence of silence was a good thing, but he really did wish that someone would say something, anything. It was making him nervous.<p>

Sometimes silence wasn't a good thing.

Katie reached under the covers and gave Marcus's hand a squeeze as Nathanial injected something into Marcus's arm.

"This will help with the pain and sleep," Nathanial said as he walked away.

Marcus just nodded. His body was already feeling heavy.

"Come one, let him sleep," Jasmine whispered.

Marcus felt darkness overtake him as he slipped away into dreamland. Only, he really didn't feel like he was in another world, it felt like it was trying to tell him something, rather than showing.

_The elements of this earth balance each other out. They cancel each other. Together they can cause grave damage. Together they can heal the earth. _

_ Fire has a deadly bite, but it can also be a beautiful thing. Fierce it refuses to back down. It burns its way across the lands leaving a blacken world. In this blackened world, new wonderful life is born from the ashes. It feeds the earth, leaving it healthier than ever before. _

_ Water, what can be wrong with water? Water keeps the earth alive. It makes everything green. Nothing can live without water. Sometimes water gets out of control. It comes out of its banks in a rolling wave. It swoops down on towns killing thousands. _

_ Fire and water are both good and evil. _

_ Together they create vapour. Vapour erases things. When it clears, the world looks so much brighter. _

_ When it clears, all is well._

Marcus woke up gasping. He stared wide eyed around the room, not really sure as to why that dream bothered him so much. There wasn't really nothing to it, but it still kind of creeped him out.

Katie closed her book. "Are you okay?"  
>Marcus closed his eyes. "Yeah."<p>

She handed him a cup of water. "Your mum thought you might want this."

Marcus took a drink. "Where's Emily?"  
>"Jenna's got her."<br>Marcus nodded. "Is your dad here?"

Katie's head snapped up. "I don't know where my dad is."

Marcus nodded. "I told him to come here."

Katie looked at him. "Did you see my dad?"

Marcus nodded. The pain killers were threatening to pull him back under. He couldn't go to sleep yet. He had to tell her.

Katie sat closer to Marcus. Her full attention on him. "Did you see my dad?"

Marcus nodded. "I got him out. I don't know what happened to him. The Death Eaters found out," he whispered.

Katie gripped his hand. "My dad's alive," she whispered.

Marcus just nodded. The pain meds were getting stronger. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't bring him with me."  
>Katie kissed his lips. "It's okay. He's alive and that's all that matters."<br>Marcus couldn't respond as sleep overtook him once again.

Where was Jim? Was he even still alive? Marcus knew that he had made it out of the Ministry, but wondered if the Death Eaters had chased him and killed him. Were they toying with Jim or was something worse going on?  
>Marcus stared at the back of his eyelids. He knew what would be telling him. He needed to rest in order to heal, but there were more pressing issues. Marcus still wasn't sure what Jim thought of him or if he even liked him. Running around with the Death Eaters was not going to win him any points in that department. Fathers always scared him and older brothers were even worse, which is why Marcus always took a backseat whenever it came to Haley's dating life.<p>

Or so he hoped.

Marcus just had to believe that Jim was still out there and alive. It was the only thing he had to go on. Maybe Jim had just gotten held up in Great Britain. There were thousands of Muggles hiding out and maybe Jim had come across a group of them. It was too dangerous to send an owl out, so maybe that's why he hadn't contacted them.

Marcus hoped that for Katie and her family's sake that Jim was still alive. He would never be able to keep on living knowing that Jim didn't make it out of the country.

The pain meds were sending Marcus deeper into dreamland. He wanted to keep thinking, but the urge to disappear was much stronger. He allowed the darkness to overtake him as he feel into a much needed sleep.

The world would hopefully still be there when we work up.


	36. Chapter 35: Open Your Eyes

Chapter Thirty-Five: Open Your Eyes

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback **

** The group went outside. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Hagrid's house was in flames.**

** The students approached the Tower and formed a circle around something. Katie stood on her tiptoes and felt her stomach drop. In the centre, Harry was kneeling down next to something crying. Fang was howling a slow, lonely howl. Next to them was Dumbledore, dead. **

** She looked away and felt tears in her eyes. Dumbledore could not be dead. That just simply wasn't possible. She looked around at her friends and saw that they were trying not to cry. **

** In front of Katie, someone raised their lighted wand. She and the others followed their motions creating a candlelight vigil for the fallen wizard. Katie stared up at the Dark Mark and watched as they light burned away the darkness. It was really a beautiful thing, but she could not let herself be happy. There wasn't anything beautiful about death, it just met that someone wasn't here to enjoy another day. A few minutes later, the wands went out casting a darkness over Hogwarts. Darkness was better; it fitted death. **

** Slowly, Katie turned away from Dumbledore's body. She didn't want to remember him like this. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall to the sound of the distant lament of the phoenix. **

Katie stared at Marcus's limp form. She wanted to shake and wake him up, but knew that he needed to rest, no matter what she wanted.

Her father was alive! Words could not simply describe how she felt about that. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. It was a once in a lifetime feeling. To lose someone and, then, have hope placed on you was the most amazing thing in the world. It just made you go "wow" and allowed you to believe that there was hoped once again.

To lose your heart and get it back was the greatest thing in the world.

Katie opened the worn paperback again. _A Little Princess _had been her favourite book as a child and reading it allowed her to escape into the innocence of childhood. However, she couldn't read. She couldn't even bring herself to slip out and check on Emily.

Everything was focused on finding out what happened to her father.

It was a selfish thing really. Katie knew that there was other things going on as well, but she just had to know. It was just human nature to be selfish, but that still didn't make it right.

Katie closed her book again and watched Marcus's rise and fall. She needed to get her act together. She was a wife and mother now; she had duties, but she wasn't really sure what they were.

Katie looked at the clock. Marcus would be okay for a few minutes, wouldn't he? He was a pretty sound sleeper, so she didn't really foresee him watching up in the next few minutes. She could just slip up, see Emily, and tell Jenna what she had just learned.

She got to her feet, gave Marcus a final look, and left the room.

Outside Jenna's room, Katie could feel her stepmother speaking to Emily. Katie stood outside for a few seconds to listen in, but couldn't make out what was being said.

Katie pushed open the door and stepped in.

Emily smiled and held her arms out the moment she saw Katie.

"How is he?" Jenna asked.

Katie sat down next to Emily and took her in her arms. "He's sleeping. They think he'll be alright now."

Jenna nodded. "That's good."  
>Katie looked down at Emily, unsure of how to word what she was going to say next.<p>

Jenna smiled. "She'll probably be happy to see Marcus."  
>Katie nodded. "He asked about her."<p>

"You seemed surprised."  
>Katie shook her head. "I'm not really. I just didn't expect him to so fast, with what's going on and everything."<p>

Jenna touched Katie's arm. "People will always surprise you."

Katie nodded. "Surprise doesn't even cover it anymore."

"I know the feeling."  
>Katie shifted Emily around. "He told me something before he feel back asleep."<p>

"Go on."  
>Katie looked ahead. "He said that Dad is alive and that he sent him ahead."<p>

Jenna got to her feet and put her hand to her mouth. "Jim's alive?"  
>Katie nodded. "I guess, but Marcus didn't say much more than that."<p>

Jenna paced the room. "How?"

"I'm not really sure. We still don't know where he is or anything like that."

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that he is alive and hopefully safe."

Katie looked down at Emily. Safety was something that was not a certain thing anymore. How could her father still be safe if he was still in England? No one was safe in England. Blood didn't matter anymore.

Jenna sat back down next to Katie and looked at Katie with tears in her eyes. "He's alive. He's alive."

Katie smiled and felt tears form. "I know."

Jenna closed her eyes. "I just can't believe it." She paused. "But how did Marcus get him out?"

"That's how the Death Eaters caught him, I think," Katie said. "They were already watching him and I think this just sealed the deal."

Katie really could not believe what Marcus had done for her family- or rather their family. In the end, he was the one who paid the price that almost cost him his life. She had always known that Marcus had a big heart, but this just proved it to others.

Jenna wiped her tear stained cheek and reached for Emily. "You'd better get back downstairs."

Katie looked at Jenna. "Are you sure?"

Jenna nodded. "You have just brought me great news about a loved one, now it's your turn to go and be with yours."  
>Katie nodded.<p>

"He's your husband. He needs you."  
>Katie handed Emily over. "Thanks."<br>Jenna smiled. "Now, go."  
>Katie rushed out of the room and downstairs, hoping that Marcus's dark eyes would be there to greet her.<p>

CRASH!

Katie winced as someone ran into her.  
>"Katie, I'm sorry," Brad said.<p>

She bent down to help Brad pick up the scrolls that he had dropped. "It's okay."

Brad nodded his thanks to her.

Katie reached for the final scroll and frowned as she realized what was on it. "Azkaban," she whispered as she looked up at Brad.

"It's just a thought. Nothing's been set in stone."  
>"You're thinking about taking the prison back?"<br>"We're going to try."

Katie didn't answer. She knew that Azkaban was now a prison for Muggles and those who opposed the Dark Side, but the thought of regaining control of it was another thing on its own. It would be symbol of power and possibly change who was going to win the war.

Brad reached for the final scroll. "Don't tell anyone."  
>Katie nodded. "I won't, but this is going to take a lot of people."<p>

"I know. We're working on that."

Katie sucked in a deep breath. "I could go. That would add one more person."

Brad's only response was a nod as he disappeared down the long hall.

Katie watched him. He hadn't said no.

She headed downstairs to Marcus, who was still sleeping. The thought of taking back Azkaban was still in her mind. It would certainly be an eye opener to the Dark Side. However, she wasn't sure if the cost was worth it. How many lives would be lost? How many more must die?

Katie sat back hard in her chair. What was going to happen?

Death was not a joke. Once you were dead, you were no longer a part of this world. The people you loved would not see you for a long time.

"Katie?" Marcus whispered as he attempted to pull himself up, but fell back against the pillows with a gasp of pain.

Katie got out of her chair and went over to him. "I'm right here."  
>Marcus nodded. "Can I get something to drink?"<br>Katie went over to dresser and poured him glass of water from a pitcher. She went back over to him and handed it over.

Marcus took a drink. "That was very Muggle of you."  
>"Shut up," Katie laughed.<p>

Marcus just smirked at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a knife has been driven through me."  
>Katie touched him arm. "Well, we'll have to fix that."<br>"Yeah."  
>Katie looked down at him. She was not about to mention the whole Azkaban thing to him. There was no way he could be a part of that all at. She had no idea when he could be able to walk around in public like a normal person. As soon as the Death Eaters saw him, they would kill him.<p>

"Katie?" Marcus whispered.

Katie looked at him. "Yes?"

"You got really quite."  
>"I was just thinking."<p>

"About what?"

She bent down and kissed his forehead. "Nothing that you need to worry about."

"Yeah, that's strange at all."

"You just need to focus on healing and nothing else."

Marcus didn't respond.

"You'll be back on your feet come May."

"That two months from now!"  
>Katie giggled. "There is no way you make it with Muggle healing. You'd probably have to wait longer than that. Broken arm in Quidditch would take weeks to heal instead of seconds."<br>"So, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, you just need to be open to more ideas."  
>Jasmine stepped into the room with a bowl of steaming soup. "Here."<p>

Marcus took it from her.

"It's been decided on how we are going to handle this. The Death Eaters can't know that you are alive, Marcus."

Marcus nodded and took a bite of soup.

"We've decided to tell everyone, but a select few that you are dead."

Marcus chocked. "What?"

"We are going to tell the world that you are dead until the time is right."

"Who is going to know that I'm not?"

"Everyone here, Tonks, Kingsley, my parents, your brothers, Arthur, and Molly. They are the only ones who need to know."  
>Marcus nodded.<p>

"The fewer who know the better."

Jasmine handed Katie a few bandages. "I'll leave you two alone. Let me know if you need anything."

Katie watched Jasmine leave. "So, we're faking your death?"

"I'm taking it that you didn't know anything about this either."

"Nope, but it is a good idea."

"I hope it works."

Katie nodded, wondering how in the world they were going to pull this off. A lot of people did not know that Marcus was alive, but that was still too many for her liking. She would have been happy with keeping it to the people in the house, but knew that others still needed to know.

She looked into Marcus's open eyes. He was probably problem with this. Everyone could keep their mouths shut, but he needed to stay out of sight and he was not one for staying cooped up. She only hoped that he would heal slowly.

**Yeah, not the best chapter. Anyway, I promise that there will be more action in later chapters. Thanks for reading and see you next week! **


	37. Chapter 36: Sitra Ahra

Chapter Thirty-Six: Sitra Ahra

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

It was a week later before Marcus found the strength to pull himself out of bed. As soon as he put his feet on the floor, the world starting spinning again. Maybe this was far too early. He sat on the edge for a couple of minutes, hoping that the dizziness would pass.

Katie's blond form appeared in front of him. "You shouldn't be up."  
>"And you have been around my mother for too long."<br>Katie frowned at Marcus and crossed her arms over her chest. She had been around his mother a little bit too much.

Sighing Marcus flopped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He knew that something was up, besides the whole faking his death thing, but just was not sure what it was.

Katie patted his arm. "There, now isn't that better?"

Marcus did not answer. He could think of a lot of things that were a lot better than this.

Katie handed him a thick book. "This will keep you out of trouble."

Marcus took the book without looking at the cover. "Where's my wand?" He hadn't seen or thought about it since he got hurt. Now, he kind of wanted it.

"It's upstairs. I can go and fetch it for you."

Marcus nodded as Katie disappeared. He had no idea why he his wand had slipped his mind. He had always carried it since he was eleven and hardly ever let it out of his sight. It was a part of him and a part that he simply could not believe that he had not missed.

He flipped open the book to the first page and started to read. It was some kind of nineteenth text that he was not familiar with at all.

Katie came back in a few minutes later with Emily. "Someone wanted to see you."

Marcus closed the book as Katie handed Emily over to him. She looked up at him with her big eyes and touched his rough cheek.

"I think she remembers you," Katie said. "You have a petty unforgettable face."  
>Marcus nodded, unsure of rather she had just complimented or insulted him.<p>

Katie set his wand down on the night table and watched them.

Emily yawned and stared up at Marcus with sleepy eyes. "I'm so exciting that she's falling asleep."  
>Katie just laughed.<p>

Marcus pulled his knees up a little. It didn't hurt, much. "Who's all still here?"  
>"Damon and Remus went back to England while you were sleeping. Damon wanted to stay, but he was afraid that he wouldn't get back if he didn't go now."<br>Marcus nodded.

"Everyone else is still here, but they're kind of keeping to themselves."

"They're planning something."

Katie's head jerked up a little bit too quickly. "What makes you think that?"

"The fact that no one seems to be moving around as much."  
>"How can you tell that?"<br>"I can hear."

Katie didn't answer.

Marcus looked down at Emily. Why was everyone keeping him shut out? He was still a part of the group, even if he could not fight at this moment. He still had the right to know.

Katie took Emily out of his arms and kissed his lips. "I'm going to take her upstairs. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
>Marcus watched her leave, really wishing that he could get out of this bed. He hated being stuck in one place. What did it really matter if he could get out of this bed? He couldn't really go or do anything. No one could see him.<p>

Katie came back and sat on the edge of his bed. "Are you sure that you don't remember anything about my father?"

Marcus nodded. He had told her all that he knew. He really wished that he could give her a better answer, but there just simply wasn't one.

The unknown was the greatest evil that God could give them. This was just simply evil from God, _sitra ahra. _Nothing they could do would change this. They were just mere mortals.

Katie squeezed his hand. "I know, but I can't help but to wonder."  
>Marcus nodded. "If there was anything else, I would tell you."<br>"I'm just glad that he's alright."  
>Marcus just nodded. There was still something off about Katie. He didn't expect to know everything that went on in her life, but this had put of the entire house off. It was really bothering him.<p>

Katie looked at Marcus. "Do you want anything to eat? I think there's still some leftovers from lunch in the kitchen."  
>"Not right now."<p>

"You need to eat."

"Once again, you sound like my mother."  
>Katie just gave him a look. "Sometimes I feel like your mother."<br>Marcus pulled her down next to him. "You do lots of things with me that you couldn't do if you were my mother."  
>Katie ran her hand through his hair. "I guess you are right."<p>

Marcus smiled. "You'd better believe that I am right."

She sat up and started to leave the room. "But you are still going to eat something, even if I have to force feed you."

"That's considered torture in some places," Marcus pointed out.

"Then, I guess you had best eat something."

Marcus laid back against his pillows, wondering what he had gotten himself into too.

Marcus did have to admit that he did feel better the next morning. He wasn't as sniff and the wounds did not hurt nearly as bad. It still hurt, but he could actually move around a little bit more.

He sat carefully up on the edge of the bed and stuffed his wand him his sweat pants pocket. Grabbing his hoodie off the chair, he pulled it over his head and slowly made his way out of the room.

It took him longer than necessary to make his way down the kitchen, but he didn't care. As long as he was able to move, it didn't matter to him.

"We should be ready to move in next week," Brad was saying.

Marcus paused and peered in. His parents, Nathanial, Demi, Jenna, and Katie were all sitting around the island looking at something. The children were nowhere.

"Remus believes that if we don't strike now, then we may never get another chance," Jasmine said.

Jenna chose that moment to look up. "You're up." She got to her feet. "Here, sit down."

Marcus shook his head and looked at the papers on the island. "Azkaban?"

"You shouldn't be up," Jasmine said.

Marcus had no idea why they didn't want him to know about this. He knew that he couldn't go with them and would only slow them down. "Are you going to use Fairyland?"

Brad nodded. "Damon said he could manage it."

Marcus nodded. He sat down in Jenna's empty chair and filled a bowl with some cereal. He was about to pour the milk when he realized that everyone was watching him. People watching him always made him nervous, especially when he was trying to eat.

"Are you sure that you should be up?" Katie asked.

"I'm doing anything other than trying to eat," Marcus pointed out. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"  
>"No, but if you tear those wounds, it's not to hurt and I'm not listening to you whine about it."<br>"And I'll get the grand pleasure of cleaning them out again," Nathanial said.

Marcus took a bit of cereal and eyed his brother.

"Anyway," Jenna said. "You said that the sooner the better, right?"

Brad turned his attention away from his son. "Yeah."  
>Marcus suddenly liked his mother-in-law a lot more.<p>

"We are small in numbers, but that will allow us to sneak in better and be in position before the Death Eaters even know what hit them," Brad went on. "They think that they have us beaten back and their guard is down, which makes this the perfect time to strike."

"Or will they have their guard up because they think we could seek revenge on them for Marcus's death?" Jasmine asked.

Marcus winced slightly at the use of the word "death." If was strange to think of himself as being dead to the rest of the world.

"We don't know that and we'll have to risk it."

"Has there been any more news of the Potter boy?" Nathanial asked.

Jasmine shook her head. "No one knows where he is. It's probably for the best."

Marcus really did not understand why Harry Potter was staying hidden. Okay, he could see the whole You-Know-Who wanting to kill him thing, but Potter always came forward during a battle. Marcus figured that it was Hermione keeping them alive; he knew that she was the brains of the group. Marcus just really didn't understand why Potter had left them hanging.

Brad bent back over the maps. "We still haven't figured out a way to get everyone out of the prison. Even if we don't take it, we need to get as many out as possible."  
>Nathanial looked at the maps. "It's bloodily Azkaban, there's not going to be an easy way in and out. They only way in and out is through the front gates. I don't think they are going to scale the walls."<br>"You're climbing walls?" Marcus asked.

Nathanial nodded. "This is the part where I'm worried about the old people holding us up."

Marcus smirked.

"Excuse me?" Jasmine said giving her sons a look.

"Well, Mum, you know as you get older..." Marcus trailed off at the sight of the look she was giving him.

"I can climb a wall better than you can right now," Jasmine pointed. "And your father is older than me."  
>Marcus did not know what to say to that.<p>

"We'll just have to take it," Jenna said. "There's no other choice."

Brad nodded. "I know."  
>Marcus thought they were taking a huge risk, one that he wasn't sure was worth it. It would make him feel a lot better if his family wasn't involved. There was just no one way everyone was going to get in and come back out.<p>

"Wands work in Azkaban, don't they?" Katie asked, nervously.

"Yeah," Nathanial answered.

Marcus could see that Katie was still very unsure about that.

"Fairyland is other issue," Demi said.

Jasmine pointed to the map. "There's an island here that we are going to set it up on. It should be able to reach from here."  
>Marcus looked at the map's scale, then at the island and Azkaban. "It will reach."<br>"Good," Jasmine said.

Marcus sat back in his chair. He didn't like this one bit. There was just so many thing that could go wrong. The only thing that could be worse than breaking into Azkaban was Hogwarts. Only a fool would start a battle at Hogwarts.

Haley appeared. "Emily's crying."  
>Katie got to her feet. "I'll be back."<br>Marcus started to get to his feet.

"You are not climbing stairs."  
>Marcus rolled his eyes as he sat back down.<p>

"Whipped," Nathanial muttered under his breath.

"I am not whipped," Marcus shot back.

"Whatever you say, little brother. Whatever you say."  
>Marcus flung a piece of soggy cereal at Nathanial.<p>

Nathanial gave him a look before flickering jelly at him.

"Children!" Jasmine snapped. "You two are worse than the grandkids."

Marcus and Nathanial just laughed.


	38. Chapter 37: Nothing Stands In Our Way

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Nothing Stands In Our Way

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie handed Emily over to Marcus. "Are you sure you are going to be able to handle this?"  
>Marcus took Emily and gave Katie a look. "I can handle it. It's not the first time I've ever watched a kid."<br>Katie frowned at him. "Yes, I have real confidence in you, the person who can't even climb stairs or Apparate without passing out."

Marcus looked down at Emily. "I'm out of bed, walking somewhat, and talking."  
>Katie sighed. He did have that one going for him. Nathanial and Jasmine had been able to heal most of his wounds, but the poison had damaged his body. Over the past couple of weeks he had gotten a lot stronger, but she could see how weak he actually still was. His face still did not have all of its colour back and he still would not let anyone near his wounds, but he was getting some of his old self back.<p>

Marcus kissed Katie's lips. "Go get back Azkaban. We'll be fine."

"Yeah," Katie whispered as she kissed him back. "Plus, it never hurts that Jenna will still be here."  
>"Why is it that women think men can't take care of children?" Marcus asked.<p>

"I never said that you couldn't. You still should be resting."  
>"There's only so much I can take of being in bed."<br>Katie nodded. "I know, but don't push it."  
>"Would I do that?"<p>

"Yes."  
>Marcus looked down at Emily. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that she didn't trust us."<br>"I trust you, most of the time."  
>Marcus smiled.<p>

Katie looked at her family. They would okay. Nothing could stand in their way. If they could get through the next couple of days, hopefully their lives would be better.

"Remember to play the part of the young, depressed, lonely widow," Marcus said.

Katie smirked. "I will. I was thinking the whole revenge seeking route and attempting to kill a bunch of Death Eaters. No would expect that from me."

"What would they?"

"I really don't know."

"Just make it look good."  
>"Oh, I've acted a bunch for you."<br>Marcus gave Katie a startled look. "When?"  
>Katie flipped her blond hair. "Well, honey, that's for me to know and you not to know."<br>"That really didn't make any sense."  
>Katie kissed him. "It's called acting."<p>

"Still not clicking."

Katie ran her hands through his hair. "I'll explain it to you later."  
>She bent down and kissed Emily's forehead. "I'll see you later."<br>She started to walk away.

"Don't I get anything?" Marcus piped up.

Katie looked back at him. He really did look all cute and innocent standing there. She just could not let him stand there like that. She turned and kissed him lips. "I'll give you more later."

Marcus smiled. "I like your thinking."

Katie, Brad, Jasmine, Demi, and Nathanial stood outside Randolph Castle as Damon put the final touches on Fairyland. The weapon had suffered mild damage the last time it was used and no one had gotten around to fixing it. Kingsley, Remus, the Weasleys, and a couple of others were to due to arrive at any time.

Katie felt a pair of hands circle her waist and pull her into a tight embrace. She turned and stared into Oliver's eyes. "Oliver? What was that for?"

"I didn't really like the guy, but I am sorry for your loss," Oliver whispered. "I can only image what you are going through."

Out of the corner of her eye, Katie could see Alicia, Fred, George, Angelina, Lisa, Alex, and Leanne approaching her. Oh, right! She was supposed to be playing the part of the grieving widow.

Katie touched her eye. "Thanks."

"A spy! I would not have taken him for the type. I guess he did have some good in him after all," Lisa said.

Katie was not what to take of that.

Damon coughed and caused everyone to jump. "Sorry, it's just so hard. He was best friend." He was laying it on thick, a little too thick if you asked Katie. "Katie, can you help me for a second?"

Katie nodded and put on a sad face. She walked slowly over to Damon and pretended that she was hiding tears.

"I could tell that you needed to get away," Damon muttered.

"Did you really need my help?" Katie asked as she looked at the weapon. "I'm really not good at this kind of stuff."  
>"Actually, yeah. I can't reach a bolt in that crack and this thing doesn't like it if you use your wand on it too much."<p>

Katie looked down the crack, which was not much better than her hand. The bolt in question was just on barely such in it. She reached in and pulled it out with ease.

"Thanks," Damon muttered as he put the bolt into place.

"Is it ready?" Katie asked.

"Yeah."  
>Damon nodded to Jasmine.<p>

"Listen up everyone!" Jasmine commanded. "For some of you, this is your first time doing this. We need to be quick, unseen, and get as many out as possible alive. Most of them need to walk out on their own. We do not have enough people to go around. If need to be, do not hesitate to kill any of the enemy. This is not the time to show mercy."

Katie had to give Jasmine credit. She was playing the part of a grieving mother really well.

"Damon, are we ready?" Brad called.

Damon nodded. "She'll do whatever you want her to."

"Good, let us begin!" Jasmine exclaimed.

Jonathon Randolph appeared at Katie's side. She hadn't seen him since the wedding and it looked as if he had aged another twenty years. "Let me just say that I really am sorry for your loss. It is such a shame that you are an widow at such a young age."

Katie nodded. "Thanks, I'm grateful for the time I got with him."

Jonathon put his arm on her shoulder. "That's all we got. I hope that most of your memories of him were good."

Katie smiled. She could see Oliver watching them. He was just bidding his time before he could move in. She never that Marcus was not going to like the idea of Oliver getting closer.

"Anyway, I should let you be on your way. There's no sense in delaying this any longer than necessary."

Katie nodded and watched Jonathon disappear into the English mist.

Jasmine handed Damon the chest. She muttered something to him and he nodded. Arthur and Remus joined him. A few seconds later, they disappeared.

Jasmine turned to those left behind. "Just remember to be smart about what you do." She paused. "Arthur, Remus, and Damon are setting up boats for us to cross the water in. We just need to give them a few minutes, then will be on our way."

"And just hope that nothing stands in our way," Fred muttered.

"Have faith. Just remember, I'm holy," George answered back.

Angelina snorted. "That is not something to joke about."

"I'm not. It's the truth."

Angelina just rolled her eyes.

Jasmine was watching her watch. About ten minutes later, she looked up. "Let's go!"

Katie pulled out her wand and felt the familiar pull of Apparation at her stomach. A few seconds later, the island appeared.

It was a rather dark place. The night sky never seemed to end. The moon shone down on them all, casting an eerily shadow over them all. Katie could only faintly make out Fairyland a few metres away from her. She assumed that this was a good thing. If she couldn't see Fairyland, then anyone who happened to watching from inside Azkaban would not see them either.

Brad touched Katie's shoulder. "We're going into a cave that Remus found to go over the plan one more time."  
>"Okay," Katie muttered as she followed him.<p>

Through the trees, Katie could faintly see Azkaban's fortress. It stood out in the night like the tree that would not bend during a horrible storm. It was rare for someone to break out it; she wondered what the chances were of someone breaking into it.

Katie ducked into the cave behind Brad. The others were already gathered and speaking, but she could not really focus on what was being said. What if this was all a big mistake?

Before Katie knew it, she was following the others out to the edge of the island and climbing into the boats. She stared out into the night's sky at the Azkaban fortress. It looked like the last place she wanted to be. They should be running away instead of trying to get it.

The boat bolted forward. Remus and Brad were slowly roaring without magic. It was best to keep magic use to a minimum because too much would set off alarms buried deep in the walls of Azkaban. Katie hadn't even known that something like that existed, but they had to prevent people from breaking out some way.

Katie gripped her wand that was buried deep in her robe pockets. The night was too quiet. Only the sounds of the oars hitting the water filled the night. There was no frogs, no other living creatures in the murky waters. She really didn't them. Who would want to break into a place that resembled death?  
>The boat hit the land. Katie winced as she climbed off it. It was a graveyard holding the remains of some of the most dangerous people to ever live. Some of these people were evil enough to hold onto themselves as ghosts. She had heard the legends of Azkaban being haunted by ghosts and only hoped that they were not true.<p>

The other two boats hit not too long after theirs and everyone but Damon and Arthur was there.

Katie stared up at the never ending wall, wincing. The cries of the prisoners could even be heard from out here. What would it be like once they were inside.

Jasmine motioned for everyone to duck down behind a tombstone. Katie knelt down in the mud, finding it rather odd that a place like this had grave markers. Wouldn't it be better to let them rot without a marker?  
>Jasmine kept looking back at the island. Katie was getting worried too. Shouldn't Damon and Arthur had already fired?<br>Katie stared out into the darkness waiting for the familiar fireball, but nothing came. What was the problem? If Fairyland did not fire, then they would all be lost.

A few minutes later, a faint glow and whistle filled the night sky. Katie got down as far as possible, but it still wasn't really enough. She could feel the flames lick her back, but knew that she wasn't buried.

An explosion almost sent her flying backwards as the fireball struck the side of the fortress. Flames and debris flew past her and into the water.

"Come on!" Nathanial roared in Katie's ear as he pushed her forward.

Katie took her wand out and charged through the flames to the hole. Using her wand, she put out any flames that threatened to lick her skin. She was coughing a little from the smoke and her eyes were threatening to spill over, but managed to climb through the hole behind Nathanial.

They were in. Now all they had to do was complete the mission and get out.

**Hopefully lots of action to come! I am going to do the Battle of Hogwarts, but it will not be for a few more chapters yet. This story is more than likely going to have fifty chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue. So, um yeah...Thanks for reading!**


	39. Chapter 38: Absolution

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Absolution

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus juggled Emily while reaching for the stove. He knew that he should not have Emily so close to it, but he could not get her to let go. Every time he put her down, she would start to cry. Amee and Dara were also staring at him from the kitchen table.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Amee asked.

Marcus poured the noodles into the boiling water. "Yes, why wouldn't I?"

Amee rolled her eyes. "Because you're a boy."  
>"What's that got to do with anything?"<br>"Boys aren't supposed to know how to cook."  
>Marcus frowned. Was today the day to gang up on him?<br>Haley was laughing as she entered the kitchen with Jenna right behind her.

Amee looked at Jenna and Haley. "Can you finish supper?"

"Why?" Haley asked.

Dara rolled her eyes. "Because Marcus is a boy and is not supposed to know how to cook."

"He could know how to cook," Jenna pointed out. "And he should also know better than to have Emily that close to the stove."  
>Marcus stepped away from the stove.<p>

"It still doesn't change the fact that he's a boy," Amee muttered.

"What's wrong with that?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing, there's just some things that boys are not supposed to do." Amee paused. "Like, play with dolls."  
>"I don't do that."<br>"But you will," Jenna said.

Marcus looked at her.

"You have a daughter, so it's bound to happen at some point," Jenna said as she stepped forward and stirred the noodles. "Did you salt the water?"  
>Marcus nodded.<p>

Jenna peered into the pot. "You don't need to be up much anyway and probably shouldn't be carrying Emily around as much as you are."

Marcus rolled his eyes. He was still a little sore, but he was capable of standing and holding a baby. Nothing was going to go wrong with that.

"She's right you know," Haley whispered.

"I'm fine," Marcus muttered.

"You didn't see yourself when Dad carried you in, though. Had you, you probably would be concerned too."  
>Marcus was concerned about what happened, but he was not about to spend another day in that bed. It hurt more to lay there, then it did to move.<p>

Marcus sat down and held Emily up on his thigh. She kept looking back at him.

"She'll be walking before you know it," Jenna said. "She's picked up crawling pretty quickly."

Marcus nodded. "I caught her trying to climb up the stairs earlier."  
>"Have you tried climbing the stairs yet?" Jenna asked.<p>

"Yeah and it didn't go too well." Marcus paused remembering what had happened last week. "I may have passed out and would have fallen down them backwards had my dad not been behind me."  
>Jenna gave him a look. "Are you sure that you should be out of bed?"<p>

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"  
>"Because you probably shouldn't be."<br>Haley smirked at him. "I can see you being Mr. Mom."  
>"Funny."<p>

Dara looked at Haley. "He can't be a mummy. He's a boy and has to be a daddy."  
>Marcus smiled.<p>

He wondered how long it would be before the others got back. It had only been a few hours, but he still could not help but to wonder. Was everything going okay? Are they almost done? This was when being on the sidelines sucked: you had no idea what to what was going to happen.

"Have you had your bandages changed?" Haley asked in an undertone.

"They're fine," Marcus muttered.

Haley eyed him. "No, they're not." She looked at Jenna. "Can you take Emily for a little bit."  
>Jenna took Emily from Marcus's arms. "Go."<p>

Sighing, Marcus followed Haley down the hall and into the bedroom where he had been staying. He really wasn't sure how he felt about his younger sister changing his bandages.

Haley closed the door and turned to Marcus. "Strip." She took a pile of bandages off the dresser.

Marcus slowly pulled his T-shirt over his head and started undoing the bandages that covered his side and stomach.

Haley approached him and started rubbing a disinfector over the wounds. Marcus winced and wanted to point out that he was capable of doing that himself.

"You do know that Wood went with them, don't you?" Haley muttered.

Marcus jerked away from her. She was getting kind of rough. "Katie won't do anything."

"But will he try to move in on your wife since you're supposed to be dead and what not?"

Marcus frowned. He hadn't thought about that one. To the rest of the world, Katie was up for grabs.

Haley looked up at him. "Arms up."  
>Marcus slowly lifted his arms as she started putting the bandages on.<p>

"I don't think they had enough people to do this."  
>"I don't think they did either."<br>Haley tugged on the bandages. "How tight?"

"That's good."  
>"It was too soon and they will probably pay for it."<br>"Let's just hope your wrong."  
>Haley picked up Marcus's shirt and handed it to him. "I hope so too."<br>Marcus pulled his shirt back on. "How long do you think it will take?"

"I don't even know. They didn't really talk about it in front of me."  
>"Me either."<p>

Haley gave him a surprised look. "I would have thought they would have told you everything."  
>"Nope. I think they thought that I would try to go along with them."<p>

Haley went over to the door and leaned against it. "Then, you won't know this one. I'm not even sure anyone but the heads of the Order know it."  
>Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "Then, how did you find it out?"<p>

"I accidently heard them talking about it when I passing by the upstairs study."  
>Marcus knew that there was no accident about it, but did not say anything.<p>

"You-Know-Who is after the Deathly Hallows," Haley said.

Marcus frowned. "Why is he after something from a children's story?"  
>"I don't know. Mum caught me and ordered me away."<p>

"That sounds like her."  
>"Do you think they exist?"<p>

Marcus bit the inside of his mouth. It was just a fairy tale after all. It was just something that parents told their children late at night to get them to go to sleep. He would probably be doing the same thing in a few years.

However, why else would the Dark Lord be looking for it? He would not waste his time trying to find something that did not exist. Time was something that the Dark Lord did not have a lot of and he would be doing everything in his power to make sure that time did not run out on him.

Haley waved her hand in front of Marcus's face. "Are you still with me?"  
>"Yeah."<p>

"Well, what do you think?"

"It is possible, I guess."  
>Haley nodded. "I know that they were pretty concerned about it."<br>"I guess You-Know-Who must be getting worried. Fear does make people do strange thing."  
>"And it's not like he's looking for absolution either."<p>

"No, he's not."

Marcus stared down at the unmade bed. Everyone was running, but were they running away instead of running forward. If they could just come together, then what would everyone be running from? It was about power after all and if they could come together, who knew what would happen.

Haley pulled on Marcus's arm. "We'd better get back out there before they come looking for us."  
>Marcus nodded and followed his sister.<p>

Jenna was just putting their on the table. "I was wondering if you two would be back soon."

"Yeah, if you were going to make us wait, we were just going to eat without you," Dara said as Jenna placed a filled plate in front of her.

Marcus slide into a seat. "You just couldn't wait, huh?"

Dara stuffed some food into her mouth. "Nope, I am hungry now."  
>Marcus started filling his own plate.<p>

"Besides, you're old and we all know it takes you longer to get down the hall."  
>Amee nodded. "You're, like, in your twenties and have been around forever."<br>Jenna laughed. "How old do you think I am?"  
>"Younger than Marcus," Dara said. "Boys always age faster than girls."<p>

Marcus really was not sure how to respond to that.

Haley giggled. "See what you have to forward too?"  
>"I guess."<p>

Haley nudged him. "Admit it, you just can't wait?"

Marcus didn't respond.

The Deathly Hallows-he hadn't even thought about them in years. It was just something that only existed in the back of his mind. Why was everyone focusing on them now?  
>"How are your wounds healing?" Jenna asked snapping Marcus out of his thoughts.<p>

"Okay, I guess. There's no infection or anything like that," Marcus answered.

"That's good."

"Yeah."  
>After they finished eating, Haley motioned for Marcus to follow her upstairs, telling Jenna that she needed him to reach something for him. Marcus stared at the huge staircase; this was going to hurt, but not nearly as bad as Apparation.<p>

"Come on, old man!" Haley called from halfway up the steps.

Marcus gave her look before slowly starting up the steps, each on spending a jolt of pain through his body.

Once they were on the second floor, Haley darted down the hallway to the study in question. Marcus followed.

Haley pushed open the study door. "I feel like a child again."  
>Marcus caught up with her. "Why?"<p>

"Seeking around for answers. It's kind of a great feeling."

Marcus frowned. Who was this stranger and what had she done with his sister?  
>Haley went to the desk and started looking around. "They probably wouldn't keep them here anyway, but it's worth a look."<p>

"What are we looking for?" Marcus asked.

Haley shifted some papers to the side. "Anything that will give us some kind of answers."  
>Marcus frowned. "What makes you think that they would have something just laying around?"<p>

"Nothing, but it doesn't hurt to look. It's not like we have anything better to do."

"I have a child."  
>"Who is taking a nap."<p>

Sighing, Marcus picked up a pile of papers and looked through them. For being a Healer, Nathanial was not the most organized person in the world. Marcus was not even sure how his brother found things. Marcus shifted through the pile and froze about halfway. He knew what they were.

"Did you find anything?" Haley asked.

Marcus picked up a piece of paper that looked like it had been torn from a healing book. "What exactly did they make me drink?"  
>"When?" Haley asked.<p>

"When they healed me."

Haley shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. Some kind of herb that they had to go find. They were away long enough for Mum to get worried."  
>"Where did they do?"<br>"It started with an 'A."

Marcus looked at the paper. Did they really got to Arctica? He jammed the paper into his pocket; he would just have to ask them later.

"Anything?" Haley asked.

Marcus shook his head."No. Knowing them, they probably burned all the good stuff."

"Well, that's no fun."

"You could say that one again."

"Does Nathaniel have a safe?"

"I really don't know."

Haley walked over to a large painting. "It always works in books." She pushed the painting aside and revealed a small wall safe. "Bingo."

Marcus went over to her and studied the lock. There was no way they were breaking it with magic.

Haley turned the lock. "Nathanial, you are so predictable. Using your kids birthdays, really?" She pushed the safe open and looked inside. "Here we go."


	40. Chapter 39: The Nexus

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Nexus

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The smoke was starting to clear, but ti really did not help with the lack of vision. She blindly stumbled down the short hallway behind Damon, feeling like a fish out of water.

Brad caught her arm and they slowly made their way to a small nook.

Katie kept blinking. With each blink, the world came back into focus.

The rest of the group joined them. Damon kept peering nervously out, but no one was coming. Katie frowned. This was just too easy, just far too easy.

Jasmine nodded forward and the rest of the group formed in behind her.

Katie kept her wand out, alternating between pointing it forward and to the side. So far, no one had come out to stop them. Her guard was up and her heart was racing. Something was going to go wrong, she could just feel it in her guts.

Alex walked next to Katie. His face was the most serious she had ever seen it. He gave her a small smile whenever he saw her watching him.

Lisa joined them on Alex's side. She stepped forward.

Katie's world exploded. She flew backwards and struck the back wall. She could only see dots and hear the panicked cries of the others around her. She shook her head and fought to refocus.

Alex was next to her, unmoving.

"Alex," Katie whispered as she crawled over to him and shook him. "Alex, please."

He didn't move.

Katie put her hand on his neck. Nothing.

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Damon roared in her ear.

Katie allowed him to pull her away from Alex's body. His body...She gulped. He was dead and it was all her fault. He would not had even come had it not been for her. Lisa? Where was Lisa? She was probably dead as well. Two of her friends were dead and it was because of her.

Damon pulled Katie around the blast zone. She could not get the sound of the explosion and the bodies flying out her mind. How many more were dead? She didn't want to ask.

People were rushing toward them. Hexes and jinxes were flying, but Katie could do nothing. Alex and Lisa were gone.

"KATIE!" Leanne screamed.

Katie turned and sent a curse flying toward a Death Eater. They killed her friends and tortured her husband. They were going to pay.

She charged forward.

Another fireball from Fairyland stuck the north wall sending more wreckage and smoke flying through the air. She blinked and could faintly make out the faint figure of a Death Eater charging toward Jasmine. Katie held out her wand and sent a curse that sent the Death Eater flying out of Fairyland's hole.

She probably killed him, but, yet, she didn't care.

She ducked as a dementor went over her head. It was rather odd; the creature did not even act like she was there.

Damon bumped up against Katie's back. Katie froze when she realized what was happening. The dementors and Death Eaters had them surrounded.

Katie heard the laughter of a Death Eater. She wasn't sure who he was, but judging by his laugh, he wasn't very old. "Well, well, what do we have here. Looks like you failed your mission."

Katie could feel the dementors pulling every happy thought out of her.

"You should have known that we would not allow you to walk in here so easy." The Death Eater paused. "And now, here you are, stuck, with no place to go."  
>Jasmine nodded to Katie's wand.<p>

The Death Eater took a step forward. "What should we do with you?"

"NOW!" Jasmine screamed.

Katie pointed her wand at the Death Eater. "REDUCTO!"  
>Curses flew toward the Death Eaters and dementors before they even had the time to react. Many of them flew backwards or just simply collapsed on the floor. Cries of those in agony filled the hall, but Katie could not allow herself to feel horrible for what just happened. The Death Eaters were trying to kill them.<p>

"FASTER!" Jasmine screamed..

Katie skidded around a corner, hot on Brad's heals. She reached behind her and pulled Alicia forward. Fairyland must have stuck again because they air and flying objects were getting much heavier. A Death Eater appeared by Katie's side. She didn't have time to react as he shot a jinx in her direction. Damon appeared and sent a rebound spell back at the Death Eater. All around, Katie could hear yelling, cries of pain, cries for help, the sounds of walls falling, death-

Fred found a clear way ahead and pushed everyone in that direction. Katie winced as something stuck her head, but did not stop.

Angelina's screams filled the air. Katie's heart skipped a beat. A dementor was picking Angelina up by her hair and slowly pulling back its hood.

"Expecto Patronum!" Katie pointed her wand at the dementor and silver cheetah shot out of the end of it. Katie grabbed Angelina. "COME ON!"  
>Katie and Angelina took off running after Fred. Behind her, Katie could hear Damon urging Leanne on, who was grunting in pain. The door ahead was ajar. Katie chanced a look back. The Death Eaters were still coming.<p>

"COME ON!" Jasmine urged them.

Katie and Angelina ran through the door with Damon and Leanne right behind them.

"COLLOPORTUS!" Jasmine yelled and the door slammed shut behind them.

Katie looked around the room. "Where's everyone else at?" She didn't see Kingsley, George, and Remus. She thought that they were leading the group.

"We must have got separated in the smoke," Leanne gasped.

"Hush up," Brad hissed.

Outside Katie could hear the sounds of Death Eaters moving around. Someone was barking orders, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"What do we do?" Alicia whispered.

"We need to move," Jasmine muttered back. "We have to get away from the door."

They ran as quickly and quietly as possible toward the exit at the far end of the room. At least it was easier to see here. Fairyland's fireballs had not yet reached the deep interior of the fortress. Katie could hear the weapon firing and feel the floor shake, but nothing happened.

The door was getting closer. They were almost there when something heavy slammed into the charmed shut door behind them.

"Move it!" a voice barked. "Alohomora!"

The door flew open. Damon grabbed Katie and they dived under a heavy piece of furniture.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," a rough voice chanted.

Katie could hear the Death Eaters kicking aside furniture and see wand sparks flying. She put her hand over her mouth and willed her breathing and heart not to be so loud.

"Check under the furniture instead of just blowing it up," a rough voice barked. "We need to keep some of them alive."

Katie's eyes grew huge as the knees of a Death Eaters started to bend. She pointed her wand at him. "STUPEFY!"  
>The jinx hit the nearest Death Eater. He fell over backwards, his head hitting the floor with a sickening crunch. Another Death Eater avoided the spell and has his wand pointed in Damon's face. The third Death Eater was focused on the rest of the group.<p>

Damon pulled his wand and was about ready to send a curse.

"Avada-" the Death Eater started.

That was when Katie decided to do something stupid. She launched herself at the Death Eater, who was about twice her size. The Death Eater was caught off guard and the two of them fell to the ground.

"STUPETY!" Katie screamed as she pointed her wand in the Death Eater's face.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Leanne screamed at the same time.

Katie watched in horror as both hers and the Death Eater's wand soared out of their hands and landed on the floor a few metres away. Katie kicked the stunned Death Eater off her and charged after her wand.

Leanne followed Katie. "I'm sorry!"  
>"Not now!" Katie snapped as she picked up her wand. "LOOK OUT!"<br>A jet of green light flew right over Leanne's shoulder. The green light soared out the open door.

The unstunned Death Eater was getting close to Jasmine. His mask was slipping down his face. Growling, he reached up and ripped it off, giving Jasmine the time she needed. "STUPEFY!" Jasmine screamed.

The Death Eater hit the brick wall. Katie winced at the sound of his neck snapping as he slid to the ground.

Another Death Eater stormed through the open door, his wand was out and random jets of light flying through the room.

"STUPEFY!" Brad roared. The jet of red light struck the Death Eater in the chest. With his arm still raised and wand still sending sparks, he fell the ground.

Katie blinked as she watched a crack form in the floor and make its way up the side of the wall. Centimetre by centimetre the crack made its way up the wall and toward the ceiling. Swearing, Katie grabbed Leanne and pulled her back, just before a section of the ceiling collapsed, sending dust and debris flying through the air, crushing those below it.

"Is everyone alright?" Brad called.

Several chorus of "yes" filled the air.

"I don't think the Death Eaters are though," Fred said. "They look a little crushed to me."  
>"Let's get out of here!" Angelina exclaimed.<p>

No one could argue with that. They ran out a door and down a dark hallway. Katie chanced a look back and saw that two more Death Eaters had entered the room during the blast and were right behind them.

Both Death Eaters raised their arms. "IMPEDIMENTA!" the leader cried.

Katie, Brad, and Demi, who were bringing up the rear, were all flung backward. Katie could hear the cries of the others and Brad urging them to keep going. She felt her head smash into the wall, little lights formed covering her vision. She shook her head.

"WE FOUND THEM!" a Death Eater was roaring. "WE'RE I-"  
>Katie pointed her wand at him. "Silencio!"<br>The Death Eater kept trying to talk, but nothing was happening. He gave a bewildered look to his partner, who just shrugged. For a moment, Katie was glad that they didn't get Death Eaters with actual brains.

Brad pointed his wand at the second Death Eater. He smirked at the Death Eater with a bloodily mouth. "Your turn. Petrificus Totalus!"  
>The second Death Eater's legs snapped together and he fell forward, face down at Katie's feet.<p>

"Can you stand?" Brad asked.

Katie nodded. "I think so." She looked at Demi's limp form. "What about her?"  
>Brad knelt down and picked Demi up. "Let's go. We can't stay here. Those two idiots probably alerted everyone of our whereabouts."<br>Katie nodded and followed Brad with the debris, with her wand out and senses alert.

They walked slowly down a dark corridor, no one speaking. Katie kept waiting for the Death Eaters to appear, but none came. She could hear Brad shifting Demi around, but other than that there was nothing.

Katie was thankful that they were this deep. At this level, the cries of the dying could not be heard and the bodies could not be seen. She knew that this was war, but did there have to be so much death?

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Katie looked up and found herself staring into the eyes of yet another Death Eater.

**Lots of action in this chapter! I know that the next chapter is supposed to be a Marcus chapter, but I really don't have enough planned for him to get a whole chapter. So, we will go back to Marcus and Haley for a short amount of time, then return to Azkaban. Thanks for reading! **


	41. Chapter 40: Nightmare

Chapter Forty: Nightmare

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus crammed his neck over Haley's shoulder. The safe was lined with papers.

Haley shifted through some. "All the good stuff is probably in the bottom." She handed Marcus an armful of papers. "Here."

Marcus took them and struggled to read Nathanial's awful handwriting.

"Got it!" Haley exclaimed. She turned back to Marcus with a small sheet of paper. "Put those back."  
>Marcus rolled his eyes. Since when did his sister get to be so bossy? He did as he was told and joined his sister at the desk.<p>

Haley's eyes were narrowed.

"What is it?" Marcus asked.

"It explains Horcrux magic. It's like ripping a part of your soul out and placing it in an object. It makes you somewhat immortal." Haley frowned. "This is not something they teach us at Hogwarts."  
>Marcus nodded. "I think I've heard the name, but never knew what it was." He paused. "Anyway, it'd probably be in the Restricted Section of the library."<br>Haley sighed. "And neither of us has spent that much time them."

Marcus shook his head. "I only had a couple of assignments seventh year that required it."  
>Haley looked back at the paper. "In order to divide the soul, you must take a life. Each Horcrux you makes requires the lost of one life. However, if the object that your soul is in is destroyed, that part of your soul dies along with the object." She paused. "Nathanial's a very wordy note taker."<br>Marcus nodded. "Is there more?"  
>Haley shook her head.<p>

"I bet that you that's what Potter's after," Marcus muttered. "He is holding the biggest secret from us."

Haley sighed and threw the paper back into the safe. "Yeah, had he told someone, we could have ended this a long time ago." She carefully shut the safe door. "I really don't think he wants the Order's help anymore."

"He can't win this thing on his own," Marcus said. "I really don't know what he's thinking if he believes that."  
>Haley smirked. "Maybe he is buying into that Chosen One business."<br>Marcus just snorted.

Haley started toward the door. "Come on, we'd better get out here before they catch us."  
>Marcus slowly followed his sister out the door, wondering what other secrets the Order was keeping. Secrets were not the answer to their problem and he only hoped that the doors were opened before it was too late.<p>

Katie held her wand high. The Death Eater ripped off his mask and pointed his wand directly at them. His long, pale, twisted face could be recognized from almost anywhere: Antonin Dolohov.

He grinned at them. "Looks, like you are in a bit of a bind."

Out of the corner of her eye, Katie could see that Brad was shifting around.

Dolohov pointed his wand at Katie's chest. "It's such a shame really. You are pretty easy on the eyes."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Brad roared.

The spell struck Dolohov in the chest before he even got the chance to block it. He fell over backwards, unable to move.

"Let's go," Brad muttered.

Katie stepped over the limp Death Eater and followed Brad down the long, dark hallway. It was a rather long walk, even though they did not walk all that far. Brad and Katie were still bruised from the earlier attack and they had to somehow carry Demi. Katie could not take her eyes off Demi.

Brad paused. "I don't hear anything."

"We either," Katie whispered back. "Where are we?"

"I don't know."

Katie lead the way down a hall that had a series of doors on either side of it. This was not a good place to be. Anything or anyone could jump out from them.

"Stop," Brad muttered.

Katie froze.

Brad nodded toward the door to his right.

Katie listened in. There was something there. She caught Brad's eye, who nodded. Taking a deep breath, Katie whipped open the door, causing three people to tumble out.

"DON'T!" Remus exclaimed.

Katie lowered her wand and watched as Remus, Kingsley, and George slowly made their way to their feet.

"Are the others with you?" Kingsley muttered.

"No, we got separated during a blast," Brad said. "It knocked Demi out."  
>Kingsley took Demi from Brad. "There's more Death Eaters here than I thought there would be. It's like they were expecting us."<br>Remus pushed open a door at the end of the hall. "We really don't have time to worry about that now."

Kingsley walked through with Demi in his arms. Brad, George, and Katie were right behind him. Katie kept looking over her shoulder for any signs of Death Eaters, but there was none. It really didn't bother her, but it did kind of make her nervous.

Kingsley heaved Demi toward another door. They were within a few metres, when the door burst open and three Death Eaters stepped out.

"THERE THEY ARE!" Dolohov roared.

Katie fought the urge to groan. Why did the Death Eaters have to unfreeze him?

Stunning spells raced across the room. Remus ran across it, leading the rest of them safety. They made it himself just in time to slam the door in the Death Eater's faces.

"Colloportus!" George wheezed.

"There are other ways in," Dolohov was muttering on the other side. "Move out."  
>Katie looked over at George. "Well, this is fun."<br>"I'm the one who is supposed to provide the humour," George muttered.

Katie was about to say something back to him when she heard the sounds of running feet on the other side of the door. They all exchanged looks and took off running down the other side of the hall. Behind them, Katie could hear bodies ramming into the door. The door was threatening to give way.

She urged her body to move faster, but the will was not there. The bangs of the Death Eaters were getting louder, as was the creaking of the door. She looked over her shoulder and saw that five Death Eaters, led by Dolohov, had managed to break down the door.

"FASTER!" Katie screamed.

Kinglsey looked back and sent a jinx down the long hall. It struck one of the Death Eaters, but the other four charged forward.

One of the Death Eaters shot a Stunning Spell at them; it barely missed Remus. The other three Death Eaters were sending silver lights toward them that left craters were it struck.

"Charge forward," Remus muttered to Katie. "It may be our only chance."  
>Katie nodded.<p>

With their wands out, the Order members charged forward. The Death Eaters did not have time to react and the Order was almost out before the spells starting flying again. Katie ran behind Kingsley down at step of steep steps, each one threatening to send her falling down them.

The stone walls exploded as a one of the Death Eaters sent a spell down at them. Brad and Demi reached the bottom of the stairs right behind Katie.

"Move and cover your head!" Kingsley yelled. He pointed his wand up the stairs. "CONFRINGO!"

A loud boom filled the air. Katie could faintly make out the stairs falling into a massive crater. Over the roar, she could hear the sounds of the Death Eaters as they hopefully fell to their deaths.

"Let's go," Remus muttered.

As they walked away, Katie could have sworn that she heard the groans of someone below the rumble. She froze as a streak of light that resembled a purple flame shot out of the dust. She dodged it and took off running down the hall.

Behind them, she could the groans of a human as he got to his feet. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
>Katie gasped as she saw a flash of green light whip pass her. Her heart was in her throat. She had never had the Killing Curse directed at her.<p>

Remus reached back and pulled her in front of him as other green light went over their heads.

"We have to get out of here!" Brad snapped.

Kingsley nodded and lead them up another set of steps. "I'm trying, but he simply will not die!"  
>"He's a cat, who just hasn't used up his nine lives," George said. He paused. "Wow, that was really bad. I am losing my touch."<br>Below them, Katie could see that more green light was being sent down the hall. She only hoped that the person sending them did not look up.

At the end of the hall, Remus was holding a door open and motioning for them to hurry up. Behind them, movements were growing louder and occurring more often. She gulped and darted into the door.

Remus turned in the door frame and flicked his wand. The spell generated such a force that Katie fought to stand upright. The Death Eater screamed as Remus slammed the door behind them.

Katie stared down the hall, which was lined with cells. Terrified Muggles peered at them from behind the bars. She looked at their sad faces, reminding of her of victims from the Holocaust. Their hallowed out faces and haunted eyes made them look more ghost-like than human. The way the Muggles stared at Katie made her feel terrible. Their eyes showed no signs of life, only defeat. They were slave until the end of time and stuck in this nightmare.

She wanted to free them all and let them see that there was hope in the world, but now was not the time. To let them go now would only kill them. There was no way they could fight their way out of this.

Katie followed Kingsley and others into a small room with a back door. She was beginning to see why no one ever escaped Azkaban. This place was too much of a maze to possibly get out of here.

Kingsley had his wand out, pointing around each turn in the rather curvy hall that they were making their way down now. Katie's ears were alert, but the roar of Fairyland prevented her from hearing anything.

Remus walked her with a shield protection spell up. He caught Katie's eye and gave her a small smile.

Katie returned it, thankful that no Muggles were in this hall. She wasn't sure if she could walk past them again and leave them. She had always known that there was a price of evil, but hated to witnessed it. They were all people too.

A jet of green light flew down the hall in front of them. Katie flung herself against the wall as the light hit Remus's shield and balanced back down the hall. She hoped that it hit whoever had sent it.

Kingsley sent a jinx down the hall and was returned with a crater curse. Katie stared wide-eyed as the curse hit the wall across from her. There was no time to move as rock made its way toward her. She gulped, knowing what was coming next.

Jenna greeted Marcus and Haley at the foot of the stairs. "They're on their way back and we need to be ready to attend to the wounded."  
>Marcus nodded. "Did they say if they got it?"<p>

"No."

Marcus looked at Haley, both of them were thinking the same thing: Was it worth it?

"Did anyone die?" Haley asked in a soft voice.

Jenna turned and looked them both in the eye. "They didn't have to. I could hear it in their voices."

**New chapters out in January or possibly February! ** **January is also my last semester of university and I am also student teaching. So, the final ten chapters may not be up weekly. We'll just have to see! I can't believe it's almost over. I've been working on this series for close to four years and just can't believe the end is almost here. Thanks for reading!**


	42. Chapter 41: Storm the Sorrow

Chapter Forty-One: Storm the Sorrow

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Bold: Flashback **

** Alex walked next to Katie. His face was the most serious she had ever seen it. He gave her a small smile whenever he saw her watching him. **

** Lisa joined them on Alex's side. She stepped forward. **

** Katie's world exploded. She flew backwards and struck the back wall. She could only see dots and hear the panicked cries of the others around her. She shook her head and fought to refocus. **

** Alex was next to her, unmoving. **

** "Alex," Katie whispered as she crawled over to him and shook him. "Alex, please."**

** He didn't move. **

** Katie put her hand on his neck. Nothing. **

** "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Damon roared in her ear. **

** Katie allowed him to pull her away from Alex's body. His body...She gulped. He was dead and it was all her fault. He would not had even come had it not been for her. Lisa? Where was Lisa? She was probably dead as well. Two of her friends were dead and it was because of her. **

Katie woke up to a spinning world, lots of blue and silver, and the smells of homemade chicken noodle soup. Groaning, she pushed herself up to get a better view of her surroundings. She was in a bedroom. She tried to look more, but feel back down onto the pillows with a small cry of pain.

"That wasn't wise."

She looked toward the door and saw Marcus leaning against the door frame with eating out of a bowl. "You look better."  
>Marcus pushed himself off the door frame and came over to her. He sat down carefully on the edge of the bed.<p>

Katie grabbed his spoon and started eating out of his bowl. Much to her surprise, he didn't say anything. "So, how long have I been out?"  
>"Close to three days."<p>

"Oh." She paused and took a deep breath. "What happened?"  
>"The Death Eaters that were in Azkaban are now prisoners."<br>"Oh."  
>Marcus looked at her. "Is that all you can say?"<p>

Katie blinked. Alex...Lisa...They were gone! She couldn't believe it! It was all her fault. They would not had even been there if it wasn't for her. People always died when it came to these things and it was always the good guys who did. Why didn't the bad ones have to go Why did people as carefree as Alex and Lisa have to go? What had happened to their bodies?

"Katie?"  
>Katie looked at Marcus. "I'm fine."<p>

Marcus looked at her with a doubtful expression, but didn't push the issue.

"Where's Emily?"

"Upstairs with Jenna."

Katie attempted to nod, but her head hurt too much. "Was there anyone?" She paused. "Was anyone else from our side killed besides Alex and Lisa?"  
>"No."<br>Katie blinked hard. There was nothing worse than being the only ones. Marcus put his arms around her and she leaned into him, not hard because she didn't want him to start bleeding. She turned up to him and kissed his sweet lips.

"Will you two wait until I'm out of the room?"

Katie jerked away from Marcus and saw that Nathanial was making his way toward the bed. She felt herself get red. It's not like they were doing anything wrong to begin with.

"At least you're in the same room, so I don't have to hunt." Nathanial motioned for Marcus to move. "How's the head?"

Katie winced as Nathanial started gently examining it. "Sore."

Nathanial nodded. "It's going to be." He moved away from her. "Other than that, it looks good. Are you having any difficulty with memory or anything else?"  
>Katie shook her head.<p>

"Good." Nathanial turned to Marcus. "Your turn."

Marcus said something to Nathanial in Italian that Katie couldn't catch. Nathanial answered back just as quickly. She hated whenever they did that. Why couldn't there be just one language? The next thing she knew, Marcus was pulling his shirt and bandages off and Nathanial was staring at his side.  
>"You need to stop moving around so much," Nathanial muttered to Marcus.<p>

"I'm not moving as much as I normally do," Marcus pointed out.

"True, but you are moving around too much. You'll tear those wounds back open."

"I know."

"Then, do it!"  
>When Marcus didn't answer, Katie could not help but to smile. It was kind of cute how he backed down when it came to his family. He was whipped and there was no other way to describe it.<p>

Katie peered at Marcus's side. The wound was healing, slowly, and would leave a nice scar, but he would recover. The one his stomach looked better. That scar would probably be smaller than the one from where he had his appendix removed. They weren't red, which was good and the bandages were clear, which was even better.

"Okay," Nathanial muttered.

Marcus pulled his shirt back on.

"You two will be okay." Nathanial paused. "I just wouldn't take it past snogging."  
>Katie turned red and Marcus made a face. Smirking, Nathanial backed out of the room.<p>

"So, what have you been up to?" Katie asked as she finished off Marcus's soup.

"Not much. I've just been doing some reading."  
>"On what?"<br>Sighing, Marcus reached under the bed. "I didn't want them to see this. Haley and I did a little digging while you were gone." He showed her the title: _Secrets of the Darkest Art. _

Katie frowned. "Not exactly light reading or happy."  
>"I know, but Haley and I we found something while you were gone."<br>"I hope you're not teaching your sister bad tricks." Katie smiled. "So, what did you find?"  
>"There's this safe upstairs that Nathanial keeps a lot of papers in. Anyway, Haley thought that they weren't telling us anything and we kind of went through Nathanial's stuff." Marcus's expression resembled that of a child's who had just been caught with his in the biscuit jar. "We found something called Horcruxes and it was tied in with You-Know-Who."<br>Katie frowned. She had never heard of Horcruxes. Both of them had taken Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts too. "What's it say about them?"

"Fragments of a person's soul are used to create it, which a person can get by killing another. Most only make one, but Nathanial seemed to think that You-Know-Who made more than one." Marcus paused. "I don't why he thinks that."

"Well, You-Know-Who has killed thousands, maybe millions, so it is very possible that more than one exists."

"I guess," Marcus said. "That's not even really the scary part."

"What could be worse than magic that kills?"  
>"The kind that fights back. This magic senses some kind of line of defence. The bit of soul inside it can sense whenever there is a threat and defend itself. It is said that it may even cause death in rare cases."<br>"That's bad."

"Yeah."  
>Katie stared at Marcus. She reached up and touched his soft, dark hair. "Nathaniel's sure about this?"<p>

Marcus nodded.

"The darkest magic for the darkest wizard, it's fitting." Katie sighed. "Things just got a lot more complicated. There's just simply no easy way to kill him."

"Was there ever?"

"You know what I mean."

They feel into silence. Katie really wasn't surprised that You-Know-Who managed to find a way to beat death. Was it even possible to kill him with the threat of the Horcrux? All of their chances of defeating him were gone, giving the Dark Side a chance to come in and storm the sorrow.

"Is there anything we can do?" Katie asked.

Marcus sighed as he laid slowly back on the bed. "I don't know. One is for sure though."  
>"What's that?" Katie whispered as she laid back next to him.<p>

"We can't go back to England, yet."  
>Katie gripped his hand. "That's okay. I'm getting used to the sunshine."<p>

Marcus laughed. "Yeah, there is that."  
>She kissed him before rolling over to her side. "All of this is giving me a headache and you look like you could use a few hours of sleep yourself."<p>

"Just sleep?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

Marcus's laughter filled the room. "Getting a little confident there?"  
>"Boy, don't make me hurt you."<br>His hot breath tickled the back of her neck as he spoke. "Baby, I would like to see you try."

Katie's face got red. She had nothing to be ashamed of, the truth hurt some people.

"Go to sleep." The last thing she heard before closing her eyes was Marcus's soft laughter.

Katie woke up before Marcus the next morning. She looked over at his sleeping form, realizing for the first time in months how young he actually was. She slipped out from underneath the covers. It was early, so early that daylight hadn't fully overtaken the night sky.

Emily...She wanted to see Emily. She crept up the stairs quietly because she didn't want to wake anyone in the house. As soon as she stepped into Emily's room, a sense of serenity overcame her. Up here, nothing bad could happen, the evil of the world did not exist in these walls.

Emily was still asleep when Katie approached the crib. Her little fists were wrapped around her favourite stuffed tiger, her tiny eyes closed. She looked so lovely there sleeping without a care in the world.

Katie pulled her blankets up closer around her and smiled. This was what it was supposed to be like.

She went over to her bed and pulled a small trunk out from underneath it. No one else knew that she had brought this or that it even existed. Inside was the memories of yester years and forgotten dream. She slowly opened it. On top were pictures of Katie with Leanne, Alex, and Lisa. She felt a familiar pain in her stomach as she looked at Alex's and Lisa's smiling faces. She carefully sat those aside. Next were pictures of her with Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George with Oliver mixed in a few. They all looked so young. The pictures of her and Marcus were rather interesting. She could tell the date of them by the basis of his Quidditch uniform, the Slytherin green turned to Falmouth grey. Smiling, she sat all the pictures down on the bed. She needed to get a scrap book or something to put those in.

She picked up a Galloon that was mixed in with a picture of Dumbledore's Army. She had always thought that using something as simple as a coin to alert people of new meetings was brilliant. It was the perfect way to communicate in secret. She frowned. There was something wrong with the coin. She stared closer. There was meeting. What the hell?

She got to her feet and rushed downstairs. "Marcus!" she yelled as she stepped in the room where Marcus was sleeping.

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.

Katie shoved the Galloon in his hands.

"Why are you showing me this?"  
>"It's what we used for D.A to know when the next meeting was." She pointed to the side of the coin. "Look, there's a meeting tonight."<p>

Marcus frowned and looked closer at the coin. "Do you want to go?"

"They never summon us unless it's important." She looked nervously at the coin.  
>Brad appeared in the door, his face flushed. "It's Hogwarts. The Death Eaters are on the move."<p> 


	43. Chapter 42: War Eternal

Chapter Forty-Two: War Eternal

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus blinked at his father. "Are you sure?"  
>Brad nodded. "I wish it wasn't."<p>

Marcus looked down at his hands. How could this had happened so quickly?

"They say that Harry Potter has returned to Hogwarts."  
>Katie nodded, but Marcus didn't move a muscle. That sounded about like Potter to him. Showing up at the last minutes, getting them involved in a major battle, and walking away as the hero. He always did this and thought that everyone was doing it for him, when they weren't.<p>

"What do you we?" Katie asked slowly.

"We have to go help or everyone will be killed. They don't have a chance. Think about it, a bunch of school kids against the Dark Army, it's just not going to end well for the kids."  
>Katie got to her feet. "Well, I guess we're get ready." She padded out of the room.<p>

Marcus kicked his blankets off and grabbed his wand off the stand.

"Are you okay?" Brad asked as he sat down on the corner of the bed.

"I'm fine." Marcus got out of bed and hunted for some clothes. He couldn't remember where the last pair of jeans he had worn were.  
>"No, you're not."<br>Found them...He bent down to pick them up, trying to hid the wincing. His dad's hand appeared and the next thing Marcus knew the jeans were in his hands.

"You don't have to go if you don't want. No one would blame you if you sat this one."  
>"I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines." Marcus stripped off his sweats and pulled on the jeans.<p>

"Marcus."  
>"What?"<br>"They almost killed you. You didn't see yourself when I got you. You were dying." Brad's voice caught. "If they see you there, they will make sure that they finish the job."

Marcus exchanged his T-shirt for a long sleeve black one. "Then, I'll just make sure that they don't see me." Now, where were his boots? He knew that he had seen them earlier, but just couldn't remember where.

Brad groaned. "Marcus!"

"You don't want me to go." Ah, there were. He reached under the bed and pulled them out.

"No, I don't. I supposed that's not going to do any good with you."

"Nope."

"Just don't get killed."

Marcus laced his boots up. He didn't know what to say to his father. This wasn't only a physical war, but an internal one and it would never end.

"And don't shave. It'll help cover you up a little."

Marcus smirked as his father left the room. He slowly got to his feet and followed in suit. He found them all gathered around the large dining room table, the children not in sight nor was Jenna. He crept in beside Katie, who put her hand around his waist, and studied the map. It took him awhile to realize that that this was Hogwarts.

"We'll go in through the Hogshead and end up somewhere around here," Jasmine said as she pointed to a blank spot on the map.

Marcus frowned. He had heard of an invisible room at Hogwarts, but never knew where it was.

Katie moved Jasmine's finger a little further left. "It'll be more like around here somewhere."

Jasmine nodded.

"The Hogshead knows that we are coming and there's really nothing further to discuss. We can't make battle plans until we see for sure what we are up against, if it's anything." Brad picked his wand off the table. "Let's go."

Everyone filed out of the room.

Jenna was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Emily in her arms and the girls peering around her legs. Nobody said a word as they walked by. Nobody really knew what to say. Demi held the front door open and allowed everyone to walk by her; she never took her eyes off of her children.

Outside they formed a circle, while Jasmine pulled out the chest. She looked at everyone in the circle. "If you have decided that you don't want to go, no one would blame you for backing out."  
>No one moved.<p>

"Okay."  
>Marcus reached out of put his hand on top of Katie's, which was on the chest. He didn't look here in the eye because he knew that she would be pleading him not to go. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to go, maybe they were right. No, he couldn't pull his hand off that chest.<p>

He felt the pull at his stomach and soon Canada disappeared. The next time he opened his eyes, he was in the grimy layout of the Hogshead. He had never been here before because of rumours he had heard at Hogwarts and now he could see that they were true.

The old bartender nodded at them from behind the bar. "Hogwarts?"

Jasmine nodded. "Yeah."

The bartender nodded toward a painting. "Go through there."

"Thanks."

The bartender just grunted.

"Maybe that's why he doesn't get much business," Marcus muttered to Katie.

Katie gave him a look. "Be nice."  
>Jasmine stepped in the painting and disappeared. Brad, Demi, and Nathanial followed in suit.<p>

Katie turned and kissed Marcus. "Ready?"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

Gripping hands, they climbed into the painting. Marcus stared at the brick surrounding them. He thought he knew where most of the secret passages were at Hogwarts, but he guessed not. This one was new to him.

The next thing Marcus knew was that they were climbing through a hole in the wall. Marcus blinked as he stared at the room. Multicoloured hammocks lined the walls, different coloured tapestry hangings of the house colours lined the walls. He noted the absence of Slytherin and allowed his eyes to take in the bulging bookcases and someone screaming into a wireless in the corner.

Katie presented someone with her coin. "We got the message."  
>Harry Potter turned around and stared at them all. Marcus could feel everyone's eyes on him and he quickly looked around.<p>

Potter smiled and pulled Katie into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you." He nodded to the rest of them. He didn't seem all that happy to see them though.

Katie grabbed Marcus's hand and pulled over to where Fred, George, and the rest of the Weasleys were standing.

"Well, look who's not dead after all," Fred said to Marcus.

"Darn, I was hoping to get a cut in your money," George added.

"I just you'll have to wait a little longer," Marcus said smiling. He nodded to Potter. "What's his problem?"

"He's just mad that Neville over there put out a call to everyone," Fred answered.

Katie frowned. "Did he think that he could fight this by himself?"  
>"Something like that."<p>

They group in the centre of the room was arguing about something, something about Potter nod having a wand, not having a plan, and all of that stuff. Marcus watched Potter's movements. He was hiding something. The way that he was clinging to Ron and Hermione. Fred and George started making jokes that made no sense over the noise.

"Okay!" Potter called and all the noise ceased.

Marcus noticed how everyone in the room looked alert, excited, no one looked one bit afraid of what was waiting for them.

"There's something we need to find," Harry said. "Something-something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?" (Rowling 583)

Marcus watched as Potter's attention turned to small group of Ravenclaws. Some girl with blond hair opened her mouth and mentioned something about a lost diadem. Cho Chang, who he remembered from his seventh year, brought up the fact that no one had seen it since the days of Ravenclaw herself. Why were they wasting their time trying to find something that hadn't been seen for a thousand years?

Marcus did see the disappointment on Potter's face. People were starting to talk again around Marcus, so he couldn't hear what was being said between the two. The next thing he knew Cho and Potter where on the move. No, wait, Potter and the blond girl were on the move.

Hermione sent sparks up with her wand that ended with a loud boom. "Everyone! Shut it!"

Much to Marcus's surprise, everyone in the room fell into silence and turned their attention to Hermione.

"Now, while Harry is looking for the diadem, we must prepare for battle. There is no question about it, there is going to be a battle here. If you don't wish to be improved, no one will blame you for walking away. This is going to be a fight to the death. Before you make decision, think about your families, those you love, your friends, and everyone around you. This is a never ending war! It's a war that is supposed to break you! This ends tonight! This is the path to the end of it all!" Hermione stepped back. "Eh, how was that?"

"Nicely down!" Fred whistled.

Hermione nodded. "Um, thanks?"

Fred smiled. "Anytime, I've got your back."  
>Remus appeared behind Hermione. "We need to alert the castle. There's hundreds of underage wizards."<p>

"What about the staff?" Hermione asked.

"They may not know."

"Right." Hermione looked out at the crowd. "Those who are of age, go wake the teachers who are in your house. Tell them what's going on. Stay alert and don't put your wands down!"

"Who's going to take Slytherin?" Remus asked.

Hermione nodded to Marcus. "You're a Slytherin. What about your parents?"

"Ravenclaw," Jasmine said.

"Slytherin," Brad answered.

"They you go." Hermione said. "Now, everyone go! Only two per house goes!"  
>Marcus followed his dad out of the room, both of them keeping to the shadows. Marcus pointed his wand around the first corner, peered slowly out, and when he saw that no one was coming, motioned his dad forward. Brad moved forward and repeated the same movement for Marcus.<p>

Once they back together, Brad looked at Marcus. "You're going to have to help me with the staff. It's been a few years since I've been here."  
>"More than a few." Marcus peered down another hall. Still nothing. He darted across and looked back. Everything was still clear.<p>

Brad darted across. "What is that supposed to mean?" he whispered.

"Nothing."

"Stop."  
>"Huh?"<br>Brad shoved them both in a small broom closet and shut the door them. Outside, Marcus could here footsteps and cursing. He put his hand over his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to silence his rapidly beating heart. Brad tightened his hold on his wand and stared though a small crack. Suddenly, there was nothing.

Brad looked back at Marcus, but didn't say a word. Both of them stared wide-eyed at each other. They had heard that Death Eaters were teaching at Hogwarts, but weren't sure how many. If the Death Eaters in the castle were on the move, how long would it be before they realized that they were under attack?  
>Brad ease out of the broom closet, looked around, then motioned for Marcus to follow. They crept along the hall and slowly made their way down several flights of stairs. One thing was for certain, it was going to be a very long night.<p> 


	44. Chapter 43: Dangerous

Chapter Forty-Three: Dangerous

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie ran through the halls of Hogwarts. The professors were running to wake their students and ordering everyone to the Great Hall. This is something that she never thought she would have seen: Hogwarts under attack. She knew that it was threatened on a daily basis, but an outright attack was unheard of. She ducked into another hall and raced up the steps to the Room of Requirements. McGonagall had been rather easy to find; she had been in a corridor rushing toward the west end of the castle and didn't see all that surprised to learn what was going on.

Katie opened the Room of Requirement and stepped in. It was far more crowded than we she left. Angelina stepped in right behind her. Both of them stared at the masses that had gathered. How quickly had word gotten around?

Katie and Angelina pushed their ways through the crowd. Katie scanned the crowd. There was no sign of Marcus or Brad. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were back. Katie closed her eyes. They surely hadn't run into trouble.

A few minutes later, the door opened again and Harry stepped forward. Katie's heart sunk. Where were they?

Remus pushed the crowd aside to meet Harry at the foot of the stairs. "Harry, what's happening?"  
><span>"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school-Snape's run for it-What are you doing here? How did you know?"<span>  
><span>"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army," Fred explained. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix, and it all kind of snowballed."<span>  
><span>"What first, Harry?" called George. "What's going on?"<span> (Rowling 604)

Katie felt someone's warm breath on the back of her neck. She looked up and saw that Marcus had wrapped his arms around her.

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organize," Harry said. "We're fighting." (Rowling 604)

Katie found herself being pushed forward. She gripped Marcus's hand as they were forced forward. She did have to admit that with his facial hair grown out a little bit that he did not really look like himself.

Oliver Wood smiled over at Katie. "Isn't this exciting?"  
>Katie nodded.<p>

He put his hand arm Katie, not noticing Marcus who happened to have his head turned at the time talking to someone else. "I want you to be okay and not be alone."

"But I'm not," Katie said.

Oliver reached out and was about to touch her face when a hand jerked out and slapped him away. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," Marcus snapped.

Oliver stared wide eyed at Marcus. Katie reach up and slowly lowered both of their hands and gave them both pointed looks. Much to her surprise, they both backed down and moved away from each other. She wished that they would just put their differences and act like normal humans.

"I see you're not dead," Oliver said.

"Guess it's not your lucky day," Marcus shot back.

Katie walked between them as they made their way toward the Great Hall. She noticed that both of them had their jaws clenched, a habit that both of them had. If they would just take a step back and look at each other, they would see how similar they actually were to each other.

Students were pouring down the stairs some with looks of excitement on their faces, other looked like they were getting ready to cry. Katie noted that many of the other ones were trying to keep the younger ones calm. Those who were not with the younger ones had their wands out and kept jumping at every little sound. People were saying that Snape was gone and that the Death Eaters were knocking on the front gates. They were saying that Lord Voldemort himself was in Hogsmeade. She didn't know how much of that she actually believed.

Instead the Great Hall students were settling into their house tables the best they could in the given situation. Katie joined Angelina and Alicia at the head of the Gryffindor table. Much to her surprise, Marcus settled in next to her, something that she thought she would never see.

Up near the teachers' table, the senior Order of the Phoenix members and Hogwarts staff were gathered talking. Katie wished that they would turn and speak to the group. Small groups made her nervous. She supposed that she could go up there, but it didn't feel right. She wasn't much older than many of the students and knew that her age was against her, even Marcus's probably was.

She looked over at him. His eyes were shifting around the Great Hall, his jaw still clenched. He was probably seeing things that others weren't. She followed his eyes movements, which seemed to be mostly focused Malfoy and his lot. He would only look for a few seconds at them, before looking away. It was probably a wise move, because too long would dangerous.  
>Malfoy and his lot had their heads bent and were talking amongst themselves. They weren't paying attention to the other Slytherins or anyone else in the Hall for that matter, they were just like in their own little world and no one else existed. Every once in a while, one of them would look up at the head table, then quickly look away.<p>

Katie frowned. They were up to something.

She stared as Filch came running down the hall. "Students out of bed! Students out of bed!"  
><span>Professor McGonagall turned and stared at him. "They're supposed to be, you blithering idiot! Now go and do something constructive! Find Peeves!"<span>

"P-Peeves?" stammered Filch as though he had never heard of the name before.

"Yes, Peeves, you fool, Peeves! Haven't you been complaining about him for a quarter of a century? Go and fetch him, at once!"

Filch evidently thought Professor McGonagall had taken a leave of her senses, but hobbled away, hunch-shouldered, muttering under his breath. (Rowling 602)

Now every eye in the hall was fixed on Professor McGonagall. Katie had never seen her former Head of House act like that. She was stern, but never stepped out of character. Maybe the threat of battle was making her act this way.

Harry slipped in and sat down next to Katie. His eyes were also turned on Professor McGonagall who was starting to speak.

"Evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."

Many of the students looked petrified. (Rowling 608) Katie really didn't blame them. This was You-Know-Who and he was coming to kill them all.

"And what if we want to fight?" a Hufflepuff yelled. His comment was followed by a huge round of applause.

"Those who are seventeen may stay and fight," Professor McGonagall answered.

Some more students asked questions that really had no value to Katie. She tuned them out and went back to studying Malfoy's crew. They were scanning the teachers again.

"Where's Professor Snape?" shouted a girl from the Slytherin table.

"He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk," replied Professor McGonagall, and a great cheer erupted from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. (Rowling 609)

Katie noted how really isolated the Slytherins were from the rest of the Houses. Not off of them were bad. She knew of a lot of good Slytherins who were good. Of course, they weren't going to cheer for Snape's departure, almost all of them had done well under Snape. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw that Marcus wasn't cheering.

Oliver patted Katie on the back. "Well, at least he won't try to slow us done."

Katie nodded. "Yeah."

"What's up with him?" Oliver whispered nodding toward Marcus. "We all thought he was dead."

"Um...It was the easiest solution we could think of. If the Death Eaters find out he's alive, they'll still kill him," Katie muttered back.

"You know I can hear you," Marcus said. "So, you really don't have to whisper." He was playing with his wand, a nervous habit that Katie never knew he had.

Professor McGonagall held her hands up and the hall slowly went quiet. Katie noticed that it took a little longer than normal.

"We have already placed protection around the castle," Professor McGonagall was saying, "but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. It must ask, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects-" (Rowling 609)

Katie winced as a different voice filled the hall. It wasn't even coming from within the walls or so she thought. It was difficult to place. Maybe it was even calling from the walls themselves. Once thing was for certain, she would never forget the sounds of the voice: high, cold, and clear. She gulped as she realized who the voice belonged to. She slide her hand under the table and gripped Marcus's thigh.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." (Rowling 609) Katie was quiet surprised to find that she wasn't one of the screaming people. Her eyes darted around in terror. Where was that sound coming from? Marcus had his eyes closed. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood.(Rowling 609)

A great silence filled the Hall. It was pressing on Katie's eardrums. Someone speak, cry, do anything! She would have been grateful for anything.

"Give me Happy Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight." (Rowling 610)

Katie felt her head turning to where Harry was sitting. She wasn't sure why, but she just felt the urge to look at him. From what she could tell, the rest of the Hall was doing the same thing. Harry lowered his head. She couldn't blame him, having all eyes on him must really suck.

Some Slytherin girl got to her feet and started demanding that they turn Harry over. The girl was quickly put down by Professor McGonagall. The next thing Katie knew, the Slytherins were getting to their feet and making their way out of the Hall. They were soon followed by the other Houses, until only a hand full of students remained, most of them being Gryffindor, that was until Professor McGonagall started going through them and ordering those who were underage out of the Hall.

"Good to see you, Flint," Professor McGonagall muttered as she passed Marcus.

Marcus's head jerked up as he nodded to his former professor.

Kingsley stepped forward and surveyed the hall. "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers-Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor-where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile Remus and Arthur and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school."

"Sounds like a job for us," called Fred, indicating himself and George, and Kingsley nodded his approval.

"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide the troops!" (Rowling 611)

Katie watched as Harry raced out of the Hall. Not too many others saw it as they were too busy being divided up. She frowned as she wondered what dangerous game he was up to.


	45. Chapter 44: Rain of a Thousand Flames

Chapter Forty-Four: Rain of a Thousand Flames

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus darted up the Astronomy Tower behind Professor Flitwick. Behind them, were a number of Ravenclaws, a few Order members, and former Hogwarts students, including Wood and Angelina Johnson. Marcus figured that it would be just his luck that he got stuck in the same group as Wood.

Professor Flitwick stopped at the top of the stairs. "Flint, you take Boot, Miss. Patil, Goldstein, Corner, and Miss. Chang to the west side of the tower." He nodded up a steep staircase to their right.

Marcus nodded. "Okay."

"If you get in trouble, send someone down and we'll try to send you more help." The Charms professor turned to the rest of the group. "Remember, we duel for the kill. Do not hesitant." He turned and lead the rest of the group up the other stairs.

Marcus looked at his group. He really didn't know any of these people. He recognised Cho Change from Quidditch, but everyone else was a new face to him. Judging by the looks they were giving him, they really didn't know who he was either.

"Er, right. Let's go and keep your wands out." Marcus lit the end of his and lead the group up a narrow, dark flight of stairs. He really didn't know where he was going because this part of the tower was used for N.E.W.T level Astronomy, a level that he did not take.

Behind him, the Ravenclaws were talking quietly amongst themselves, which was making him nervous. If they didn't feel at ease talking around him, then there was no way that they were going to win this thing.

Once they reached the top of the power, they were rewarded with a clear view of the grounds. Marcus could see the group crews racing across the grassy surface, while others were putting up more enchantments. Marcus wondered if they were supposed to be doing the same thing. He looked at the other towers and saw nothing. He could hear the others in the tower, but could not see them. At least they were close to each other if something were to go wrong.

He looked over the castle walls. There was no sign of the Death Eaters yet, but he knew they were out there. Knowing them, they were watching what was going on just out of sight. It made him nervous, but, then again, a lot of things were making him nervous today.

"Should we put up some protective charms?" a black Ravenclaw asked.

"I don't see how it would hurt," Marcus answered. He and the others pointed their wands up at the sky. "_Protego Horribilis _."

Next to him, the Ravenclaws were rushing to perform the same spells or similar one. He was jsut grateful that he had a group who could actually perform spells without having to be told. Sometimes having Ravenclaws by your side was a big help.

Marcus put a few more shields up before something caught his. Moving through the Forbidden Forest was a group of something dressed in dark robes. They were moving quickly. He looked closer. Giants! There were giants mixed in with the humans. He and the Ravenclaw standing next to him exchanged looks.

"I think we should spread out," the Patil girl said, her voice shaking. "We don't want to miss any of them."  
>None of the Ravenclaws moved.<p>

"You heard her! Move!" Marcus snapped.

One of the boy Ravenclaws eyed him as he moved. "I finally figured out who you are. You can change your looks but you can't change your voice."  
>Marcus rolled his eyes. "We can have this talk after the battle."<p>

"I guess that implies that we are all going to live."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't plan on dying tonight."  
>Cho Chang looked back at them from her position and actually smiled. "Well, let's get started then."<p>

The Dark Army was getting closer. By now the ground crews had spotted them and were spending defensive spells at them. Marcus scanned the grounds for Katie's blond hair, but didn't see her. He did see a rather odd sight though: Professor McGonagall commanding the large stone knights that lined the castle halls. Huh, he didn't know that they could do that.

Marcus pointed his wand down at the Dark Army, which had now reached the edges of the grounds. They were slowly breaking their way through the protective charms. Everyone had been right, the charms would not hold, but it would slow them down. He sent a few wand sparks down, which didn't quiet reach the Dark Army, but it did clue him that a little bit more powerful magic would.

The only good thing about the Dark Army coming was that they were moving so slow, which them for an easy target. He only hoped that the Ravenclaws were able to see this.

Marcus pointed his wand at a large, centralized group of Death Eaters. "_Deprimo!" _The blast knocked several of them off their feet; some quickly got back up, but remained still.

"Oh, I don't those two should have mixed," Patil said. "I always wanted to see what happened when two different spells crossed."  
>Once a Ravenclaw, always a Ravenclaw.<p>

The group sent down another round of spells. Many of them using the same ones over and over. Between them and the others, they were making a dent, but it wasn't stopping the advancing Dark Army.

The giants swung large axes at the ground crews, sending many of them running for their lives. How had something so large reached the grounds before the Death Eaters. Marcus winced as the giants started stepping on people. Many of them did not get back up. His eyes scanned the grounds. Where was Katie? She had to alive, she had to be, he just knew it.

"Look! In the air!" Patil screamed.

Marcus followed her pointing finger. What was that? A mass of black was flying through the air toward them. He gulped as the mass came closer. "Ravens! Get down!"  
>Everyone in the group hit the floor as the ravens soared in through the openings, their cries sending chills down their spines. Marcus winced as one of the ravens dug its claws into his back. He knew that it didn't do any real damage, but still. Suddenly, the ravens were gone.<p>

"Is everyone okay?" Cho asked as they slowly made their way to their feet.

"Yeah, I think so," Marcus said as he looked at the other Ravenclaws, who didn't show any signs of damage.

"What was that all about?" a Ravenclaw, who Marcus thought was called Goldstein, asked. "I mean ravens."

Marcus stared down at the action unfolding on the grounds. More Death Eaters had since pushed through the barriers. "It was to give them a chance."

Goldstein looked confused. "Give who a chance?"

Marcus turned away from the action. "To give the Death Eaters a chance to break through without us hexing them."

"And it worked," Patil muttered.

Cho gripped the sides of the Tower. "Well, let's not let them get another chance." She started raining spells down on the Death Eaters.

Marcus sent some down as well, afraid to use any more blasting ones, he kept it simple. People were running away below them, making it very difficult to pick out who was on what side. Wand sparks covered his clear view as he attempted to look once again for the familiar blond locks.

"They're coming!" the black Ravenclaw yelled. "I can hear them on the steps!"  
>Marcus turned and stared down the dark steps. Sure, enough he could hear footsteps running. How did they get this far already? Unless, they really did make that good use of their time during the ravens. "Get ready!"<p>

The Ravenclaws pointed their wands down into the darkness. Marcus listened as the breathing grew heavier and the footsteps louder. He wanted to hex whoever was coming, but there was still that small chance that they could be friend instead of foe.

Time stopped. Footsteps got louder. The group exchanged looks. This was it.

Silence...Goldstein stared down at steps for a few minutes before turning to look hopefully at them.

_"Avada Kedavra!" _A green light shot up from the stairs sending everyone in the group to the floor. The curse balanced off a few walls of the tower before racing out one of the windows, leaving everyone untouched.

Marcus's brown eyes quickly darted around. He didn't see anything in the darkness. _"Confringo!"_

The blast sent debris and other things flying through the air. Marcus knew that the steps out of the tower were gone, but he didn't care. It was far better than dying. Once the debris had cleared, Cho peered down the into the darkness, with her wand lit. The others followed her. There was nothing, nothing at all. They couldn't even hear what was going on in the other parts of the tower.

Cho looked back at Marcus. "Now what?"

"Now, I guess, we go back to what we were doing," Marcus said as he walked back to the tower openings. "I'm not even sure how we're supposed to send any spells down without hitting any of our people."

Cho walked over next to Marcus and stared down at the scene. Everyone was so mixed in together. From up here, they couldn't even tell who was who just based on wand sparks.

Cho looked back him with wide eyes. "We don't. We just do what we are supposed to do. People get hurt in friendly fire all the time."

Marcus eyed her. He really couldn't believe what she was saying. Friendly fire? Was he missing something or was she for real? He looked over and saw the determined look on her face. Yeah, she was for real. They were really going to do this.

Hesitating, he pointed his wand out the window and stared at the masses below them. There really was no way to pick out who was friend and who was foe. He could barely make out the people below through the smoke and debris. People were going to die or get hurt. However, there really was no other option. If they didn't act, the loss of life could reach an ultimate high.

Sometimes doing the right thing wasn't the easiest thing to do...

This was the right thing to do.

"Okay, let's do it," Marcus said as he shot a jinx down on the masses below. "And don't miss."

A rain of a thousand flames erupted from the tower and landed on the crowds below. Marcus did his best to indentify who he was aiming at before firing, but wasn't always sure. Any sign of blond hair caused him to jerk his wand away from the area.

Where was Katie?  
>"Look!" Goldstein yelled, pointing out above the tower.<p>

A black mass was making its way toward them, yet again. Only this time it wasn't ravens.

"Death Eaters," Patil said, taking a small step back. "They're flying."  
>Marcus and Cho exchanged looks as the Death Eaters approached.<p>

"Well, let's not just stand here! Do something!" the black Ravenclaw yelled. "Have you guys forgotten that they're coming to kill you?"

Marcus pointed his wand at the black mass. _"Confringo!"_ he and Cho said together.

Some of the Death Eaters fell to the ground, but it did not stop nearly all of them.

Cho looked at Marcus. "There's too many."

Marcus stared out at the sky. She was right: there were too many of them.


	46. Chapter 45: Heavy Prey

Chapter Forty-Five: Heavy Prey

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie stared out into the smoke. The Death Eaters had broken through and they had been fighting nonstop for what felt like forever. Ahead of her, Remus was sending curses out into the smoke, with Tonks right behind him. Tonks? When had she gotten here?

"Katie!" Oliver screamed.

Katie whipped around. A Death Eater was charging toward her. Wand out, she pointed it right at the Death Eater. _"Petrificus Totalus!" _she screamed, just as the Death Eater sent a curse at her. _"Protego!" _The Death Eater exploded into a thousand flames. His screams made Katie wince, but she didn't have time to worry about his suffering. In fact, she felt that he deserved what he got.

"Nice one," Tonks called back as she sent a wave of purple lights toward a Death Eater.

**Thud!  
>Thud!<strong>

Katie and Oliver exchanged looks, panic was in both of their eyes. Katie's blue eyes darted around. She gulped as she realized where the noise was coming from. The biggest pair of feet that she had ever seen was threatening to descend down on them. Grabbing Oliver, she pulled them other out of the line of fire. Ducking behind one of the many trees for safety, Katie peered out. Giants! Between the stepping on people and swinging giant bull hooks at people, they were doing some serious damage, far more damage than wand magic.

Oliver looked over his shoulder back at the castle. "They're pushing us back."  
>"I know." Katie tightened her grip on her wand. "If they reach the castle, it's probably over for us. The people in the castle don't have as much room to get out of the way."<p>

"I know."  
>Katie darted out from the safety of the tree. "We just have to make sure that doesn't happen."<p>

She ignored Oliver's cries for her to come back. Sending curses at every Death Eater she could see, she raced toward the centre of the action. Smoke covered most of what was going on, but she didn't let that stop her.

"NO!" a girl screamed as a Death Eater pinned her to the ground. Her wand was just out of reach.

"I'll make it quick because I don't want to see a pretty girl suffer," the Death Eater hissed as he raised his wand.

_"Expelliarmus!" _Katie yelled.

The Death Eater's wand flew out of his hand.

Katie wanted to do a happy dance, but didn't have time. The Death Eater rounded on and rushed over to her. She took a step back, but the Death Eaters had were hooked like claws that he managed to hook into her arm.

Katie's screams joined the chorus of the other as she fought to get him off of her, but it wasn't doing anything. He was just simple too big for her to fight off on her own. The skin was breaking as the Death Eater dug deeper. Katie pointed her wand at him and sent a hex in his direction, but it simply did not help. He was not going to let go until one of them died!

Screaming, Katie kicked him hard between the legs. He grunted, but instead of letting go, he tightened his grip. Katie looked around for help, but everyone else was too busy with their duel to realize that she was losing her battle.

And to make matters worse, there was no way that she could blast this guy off of her without hitting herself.

She kicked the Death Eater again, this time harder than before. "LET GO!" she screamed in his face.

The Death Eater blinked as his grip let up for a minute. Huh, screaming in someone's face really did get their attention. But, he did not let up for very long and Katie found herself back in his clutches.

Grunting, Katie pointed her wand at him, as his skin tightened and his face became nothing more than a puffy mass. As the eyes narrowed, he was forced to let her go in order to rub them. Seeing her chance, Katie pointed her wand at him again. _"Stupefy!"_

The Death Eater fell over backwards. His unmoving eyes staring up at the dark sky.

"LOOK OUT!" Alicia screamed as she rushed over to Katie's side, knocking them both of out the way.

The bull hook of a giant swung down where Katie had just been standing. With a sickening crunch, the hook latched into the Death Eater. Katie closed her eyes, but it did not take the image out of her head nor the sounds out her ears.

Katie turned to Alicia. "Thanks for that."

Alicia smiled at Katie. "Don't forget that we will always have each other's backs."

Katie nodded. "Yeah. I was with Oliver, but I'm not sure where he went."

Alicia nodded as she scanned the battle. "This is bad."

"I know."

A body went flying through the air beside them. Katie couldn't tell if the person was on their side or not, but it didn't matter. All around them people were dying.

**Crack! **

Katie felt something land on her shoulder. She reached up to brush it off, but then stopped. Dust, not blood or the remains of magic, it was simply dust. She looked up and saw something that she did not want to see: the wall above them had a giant crack in it that was threatening to collapse on them.

"MOVE!" Katie pushed Alicia out of the way before throwing her own body out. The stone wall cracked above their heads and fell in a rain of stone to the ground.

Alicia stared up at the towers. "I think one of our one people did that."

Katie nodded as she followed Alicia's eyes. "Probably, but I can't really blame them. There's just simply no way that they would be able to tell that we are on their side."

"Unless, they're not in control anymore."  
>"Don't think like that. Come on, let's get back in the action."<p>

They charged forward, keeping an eye out for anymore giants and cracking walls. Katie stepped carefully over a dead body, not looking to see who it was. She really didn't want to know who was still alive and who wasn't. Glancing at the Astronomy Tower, she wondered if she could make out what wand sparks were Marcus's. Granted, she did know that it was impossible to tell just based on sparks, but it didn't stop her from looking.

A jet of green light shot out toward her.

_"Protego!" _Katie screamed. Much to her surprise, the Killing Curse went flying back through the air and toward the Death Eater, who it struck in the chest causing him to fall over backwards with a shocked expression on his face.

Katie gulped. She had just killed someone, granted that person had been trying to kill her, but still. Death was all the same, no matter who was responsible for it.

Oliver appeared by Katie's shoulder. "We have to get out of here!"  
>"What?" Katie sent a jinx at an approaching Death Eater.<p>

"I said, we have to get out of here!"  
>"Why?"<p>

"They're pushing us back! We have to get into the castle!"  
>A student fell to the ground, dead. Katie gulped. The girl couldn't have been more than seventeen or so.<p>

"Come on!" Oliver grabbed Katie and forced her toward the west entrance. All around, people were making a mad dash to the castle. Above them, Death Eaters were flying, sending who knows what kinds of Dark Magic on the people below.

Katie kept sending hexes back behind with the hopes of slowing at least one of the Death Eaters down. People were screaming as the Death Eaters rained down on them. They were losing, losing everything.

She and Oliver raced up the steps to the second floor. Death Eaters were appearing in windows, sending as many Killing Curses as possible. Most them were finding a target, because Katie was stepping over far too many bodies for her liking.

**Boom!  
><strong> Katie ducked her head just in time. About a metre or so behind was a giant hole that was just about as tall as she was. Keeping low to the ground, she pushed her way through the masses, trying to not to look directly at the bodies. Bodies...She could easy become of them...She didn't want to see who they were...Was Marcus among them?

Curses danced over her head, a few of them coming so close that she could hear their whispers in her ear. She put her hand on the cool wall after one got a little too close for her liking. She had to do something. Just wondering around was going to get her killed, but getting higher would also mean certain death.

Death...Death...Why was it all around her? Oh, yeah, she in the middle of a battle.

A pair of black boots stopped her from going any further. Katie's eyes followed the boots, which turned into a leg, which then turned into a man's body, and found herself staring into the eyes of a masked Death Eater. Oddly, the Death Eater didn't have his wand pointed directly at her, but instead just had it clasped in his fist. Katie pointed her own wand at him, but didn't fire. They both just stood there, looking at each other.

"Katie?" the Death Eater asked, breaking the silence. "Katie Bell? What are you doing here?"  
>Katie blinked. He knew her name. How did he know her name.<p>

"It's me." He reached up and pulled off his mask. "Adrian Pucey, I was Marcus's friend."

Katie blinked, but she didn't lower her wand. Just because he was one of Marcus's best friends, didn't mean that she trusted him. "What do you want?"

Pucey didn't move or answer right away. "I just wanted you to know that I lost someone too when they killed him. He was one of my oldest friend." The sadness in his voice was just killing Katie. "I can't believe they did that to him. Sure, he was a spy and everything, but still. Draco was his friend and you don't do that to your friends."

Katie slowly her wand, but didn't take it completely off of him. "What are you saying?"  
>Pucey rubbed the back of his neck, a habit that Marcus also had when he was nervous. "I guess that I miss him a lot too."<p>

Katie gulped. Did she really trust him to tell him the truth? He deserved to know. Secrets weren't supposed to be kept between friends. "He's alive."

Pucey's head jerked up. "What?"

"Marcus, he's alive and here."

"That's impossible," Pucey stuttered. "How?"  
>"It wasn't easy, but he's alive and is doing okay."<br>He stepped away from her, with a big smile on his face. "He's alive. He's alive."

Katie nodded. "Yeah."

Pucey nodded as he pulled his mask back on. "We probably should go our own ways before they kill us."  
>She nodded. "Yeah."<br>"Be careful," he said as he disappeared back into the battlefield.

Katie watched him until he was out of sight. War did strange things to people, like, for example, that man rushing toward her looked awful close to her father, but it couldn't be. He was missing and this isn't a place he would show up. She looked closer, it did look like him, had the same limp and everything.

"Katie!" he screamed.

She started over to him. It was him, it was him. He was alive.


	47. Chapter 46: Amen and Attack

Chapter Forty-Six: Amen and Attack

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus forced himself to the ground beside Patil. The Death Eaters charged the towers, sending curses through the holes and windows. He gulped, praying that the curses did not find a way to reach them. Beside him, the Patil girl had her eyes forced shut, muttering something under her breath. He look around at the rest of the group, who were in similar positions as he was.

This was not going to work. They could not fight laying down, but if they were to get up, they would more than likely die. How had the Dark Army gotten the advantage on them so quickly? Unless, more time had pasted than he realized, but that couldn't have happened. There was just no way.

He could hear the blasts of the other towers as his fear rose. He could only hope that those in the collapsing towers died quickly so they didn't have to suffer anymore than necessary.

He put his hand to his forehead and slowly removed it. There was something warm and sticky on it. Holding it close to his face, he stared at it. Blood, his head was bleeding. The funny thing about it was, he didn't even remember being hit in the head.

He got to his knees and peered through a small hole in the stone wall. The Death Eaters were now hovering over the battles on the grounds. He blinked. Most of those on the grounds were racing back into the castle, while the Death Eaters sent jets of light down on them. Judging by the amounts of people falling, the magic seemed to be finding some kind of a mark.

Cho tapped him on the shoulder. "We have to get out of here!"  
>Marcus nodded, jerking aside as a jinx neared him. "Where?"<p>

"I don't know! Anywhere is better than here!"  
>Marcus looked at the rest of the group, who was looking up at him. He didn't know what to do, but she did have a point. A blasting spell to any weakened point of the tower would bring them all crashing down.<p>

The tower shook as another spell can raining into the room, sending even more rumble down on them. Marcus put his arms over his head as he was forced back down onto the floor. They couldn't stay here.

"Let's move!" he yelled, pushing himself to his feet.

The pushed their way toward the stairs, wands lit up. Marcus kept his pointed down, more concerned about missing steps, than what was going on above him. Most spells were not able to break through the stone walls away, but there had been some blasting going on in the lower levels and he was not sure what all was hit.

Cho kept pace with him, but kept her wand up. He figured that between the two of them that they would be able to keep most the group covered, if not all. "So..."

Marcus stepped over a gap in the stairs. "Watch yourselves!" he yelled back at the other before turning his attention to Cho. "Yes?"

"How long have you been afraid of heights?" Cho asked, innocently as she studied a large crack in the ceiling.

"What are you talking?" The stairs at this level seemed to be surprisingly solid. He picked up his pace a little bit.

"I know that you are. The others might not have picked up on it, but I did. You didn't get too close to the edge and you didn't look down for very long."

They rounded another corner.  
>"What's wrong with that?"<p>

Cho shook her head. "Nothing, I just never thought that someone like you would be afraid of heights."

The sounds of the battle were getting louder as they reached the final staircase.

"I mean, you play Quidditch for a living. Heights kind of come with the job title."

The stairs were starting to shake, the group paused and exchange worried looks. Wouldn't it be something to make it this far, only to die when there are twenty or so steps left?

Marcus snorted, jets of various lights appeared under the door, but none of them reached the group. "I just ignore it."

Cho paused on his step. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid of something, it makes you human and gives you something to overcome. Without fear, we would be reckless and would have nothing holding us back from doing stupid things."

"That was a very Ravenclaw answer."

"I try." She paused. "Now, are we going to do this thing or not?"

Marcus pointed his wand at the door. _"Reducto!"_

The door cracked open and revealed the scene in front of them. People were running through the halls, many of them screaming, some pausing to send spells back into the masses. Death Eaters marched closer, sending Killing Curses at whoever they could reach. Bodies littered the floor, both dead and wounded.

Goldstein gulped. "Are you guys sure that you want to go out there?"

"No, but we have to," Marcus said. He pointed his wand at the nearest Death Eater. _"Locomotor Mortis!" _The Death Eater fell the ground, his wand flying out of his hand. "Come on!" As he charged forward, he did not bother to look back to see if the others were coming, mostly because he didn't want to know who was still standing and who wasn't.

Blasts went over his head, many of them causing him to duck down. He sent a few back whenever he could pick out the Death Eaters, but it was always next to impossible.

_"Incendio!" _

Marcus jumped as he felt heat on his arm. Cursing, he pointed his wand at his arm. "_Aguamenti." _The small flame on his arm quickly disappeared, leaving him with a small burning feeling. He ducked behind the remains of a large statue and pulled up his sleeve. The skin around the burn was a dull red, but the burn itself wasn't blistered or even really white for that matter. No real damage. He breathed a sigh of relief as he peered back around the statue. Most of the people remaining were engaged in duels, some of them battling two or three Death Eaters at once.

He looked quickly at the burn again before pulling his sleeve back down. He could still fight, even if his right arm was a little slower. It wasn't like it was his dominant hand anyway.

Keeping his wand high, he charged out from behind the statue, only to come face to face with a masked Death Eater putting his wand directly at Marcus's chest. Marcus took a step back, not moving his wand, not really sure why he did that, but it seemed like the proper move. They stood there, locked in a standoff, neither of them moving.

Then, the Death Eater did something unexpected. He slowly started to lower his wand. "So, what Adrian said is true."

Marcus didn't lower his wand. "What do you mean?"  
>"That you're alive and well." The Death Eater paused. "It's a sad day when you don't recognise your own friend."<br>"I know who are you are."  
>The Death Eater took a step forward. "Then, say it. Say it out loud."<p>

Marcus took a step back, but didn't say the words. He couldn't bring himself, he just wanted to go pretending that he didn't know any of these people, that once upon a time they were friends and still were.

"You don't trust me." The Death Eater shook his head. "Honestly, Marcus, I'm not going to hurt you, just like you're not going to hurt me." His voice wavered a little bit.

"Are you sure about that, Graham?" Marcus snapped. "Are you really sure about that anymore?"

"Look, Draco's a git, but that doesn't change anything, you know that."  
>Marcus tried not to roll his eyes. He had heard it all before. This all came down to one thing; Graham knew that Marcus was not only a better dueller, but faster. Graham's bulkiness held him back.<p>

Graham took another step toward Marcus. "You're not firing at me, which tells me that you don't want to fight. I know you Marcus. I know you and I know that you would never hurt your friends. Lower you wand and we can work this out."  
>"I don't think so." Marcus hesitated, before crying, "<em>Petrificus Totalus!" <em>

Graham fell over backwards, his eyes filled with betrayal, but Marcus didn't have time to feel guilty. He stepped over Graham and darted back into the battle, putting as much distance between him and Graham as possible.

Ducking under curses, hexes, and who knows what else, Marcus soon found himself beside Kingsley locked in a duel with Jugson and Selwyn. Marcus didn't have much contact with these two, but knew right away that they were deadly.

Kingsley danced around, dodging a Killing Curse, sending a jet of orange light back at the Death Eater.

Selwyn pointed his wand at Marcus. "_Crucio!" _

Marcus had no time to move and quickly found himself on his side with pain racing up through his limbs, unable to control his body. The pain felt like those awful knifes were back in him, unbearable, his body untouchable.

Selwyn stood over him with a big smile on his face. "You know, they were way too soft on you. They should have finished you when they had the chance and, now, well, I get the pleasure of seeing the light leave your eyes." He pointed his wand at Marcus's chest. "Say goodbye."  
>Marcus gulped. Then, he realized something, the pain was leaving. He tightened his grip on his wand.<p>

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

_ "Protego!" _Marcus yelled. The Killing Curse hit the shield, sending it back on Selwyn, who didn't even have to time for a shocked face to form. He tumbled over backwards, dead.

Kingsley, now free of Jugson, offered Marcus a hand. "I thought you were a goner."  
>Marcus, breathless, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "Yeah, so did I." He looked down at Selwyn's unmoving form. "I wasn't even sure if that was going to work."<p>

"Lucky for you, it did."

"I guess."  
>Kingsley looked around the hall. "Some battle. I never would have thought that we would have pushed back this far."<p>

"I know." Marcus watched a jinx balanced off the wall their heads. He wasn't even really concerned about it all anymore. It was just kind of amen and attack, you prayed that everything went right and just attacked because you had too.

Kingsley nodded.

"Are we really losing that bad?"  
>"The truth?"<p>

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

"Yes, they are far more powerful than we anticipated. They also have far more numbers than we are prepared to fight. We don't know where our people are or how many of them are left."

Marcus sent a jinx toward a quickly approaching Death Eater. "We can just hold our breathes."

"Yeah. If it makes you feel any better, I saw your parents fighting down toward the Great Hall."

Marcus nodded. "And Katie?"

"She's with Alicia and Oliver. I saw them down toward the steps."  
>Good, good..At least something was going right today.<p>

Marcus and Kingsley ducked as a Blasting Curse soared over their heads, crumbling the wall behind them into a million pieces.

"Try to stay alive," Kinsley said as he darted into the battle.

"Yeah, you too," Marcus echoed. _  
><em>


	48. Chapter 47: Call You Out

Chapter Forty-Seven: Call You Out

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie tightened her grip around her father. "Where? How? Who?"

Jim touched his daughter's blond hair. "All must wait to a time when we are not the middle of a battle."

Katie nodded. "I'm just glad to see. Jenna stayed behind with the little kids. Emily, is growing like crazy. You remember her, right?"

"Of course, how could I have forgotten her."

"You just never know."  
>"LOOK OUT!" Alicia screamed, pointing to the window behind them.<p>

Katie looked over Jim's shoulder. A large hairy hand was coming toward them, the fingers grabbing everyone it could reach. Grabbing her dad, she shoved them both out of reach. The cries of the victims filled her eyes, she could hear them as the giant released them, sending them falling to their deaths.

The hand appeared back in the window. Katie pointed her wand at the fingers. "_Reducto!" _

Yelping, the hand disappeared out the window, but not for long. The wall started to crack with the brutal force of the giant's fist. Those nearby exchanged looks before darting back down to the seventh floor.

Katie kept looking over her shoulders for any sign of the Death Eaters, but there was none. Those on the other end of the hall must have been keeping them busy. She also scanned the running masses for Marcus, but didn't see him. Most of the towers were now nothing more than a crumpled mess and she prayed that Marcus was not one of the dead.

The seventh floor was littered with bodies. Katie kept looking at her feet. NO! She looked down at the familiar red hair, tears threatening to form. Fred, Fred was dead.

Jim grabbed her and forced her to stay upright. "We have to keep moving. Just don't look down."

Katie allowed him to guide her around the corner. Her friend was dead. Fred, who was so full of life, was nothing more than an empty body. Fred, who made everyone laugh, was being walked over while people tried to save their own lives.

Glass littered the hallway, Katie didn't even have the strength to wonder where it came from. She had to get it together, she just had to.

Leanne ran over to them. "What happened?" She was cut in several places, but for the most part seemed unharmed.

"Fred's dead," Katie whispered.

Leanne's face fell and she blinked quickly. "What?"  
>"I saw his body back there."<p>

"That's impossible. I just talked to him a few minutes ago." Leanne closed her eyes for a moment. "Why did it have to be Fred? He was a good guy."

Katie really didn't have an answer for that. Why did the good have to die while the evil could just keep on living?

The world was slowly falling apart, that was all there was too it. At the rate they were going, everyone was going to die and the Death Eaters were going to take over the world. The screams of both sides sent chills down her back as did the green and red spells. It was over, it was truly over and it was time to face the facts.

A voice reverberated from the floors, the walls, and the ceilings, causing everyone to pause in mid-curse. Katie and Leanne exchanged looks. The voice was the same as earlier in the day, the voice that Katie really did not want to hear again.

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then the battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour." (Rowling 659-660)

The Death Eaters and Dark creatures around them slowly started disappearing from the masses. Many like, Katie, were too stunned to even think about firing on them. What had just happened? Was there really going to be a break in the Battle?

Katie looked at Leanne as the last of the Death Eaters pushed past them. "Well, that was unexpected change of events."

Leanne nodded. "Yeah, but do you think he'll do it?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter."

Really, Katie had no idea what Harry would do. She hadn't seen him since the start of the battle and wasn't even sure if he even heard the message. She wanted to believe that Harry would not turn himself in, but, at the same time, she didn't want to see any more people die. She had seen far too much death for her liking over the past few hours.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Leanne asked. "I don't want to just stand here."

Katie looked around at everyone else, who were standing there just equally stunned. No one was talking, no one was moving for that matter.

"To the Great Hall!"

It seemed like everyone in the corridor turned to the sound of the voice, but no one could be seem. Then, people started moving out of the speaker's way, giving Katie the chance to see who it was.

"To the Great Hall!" Professor Flitwick cried. "We'll count our numbers and, then, go look for the dead and wounded."

Katie and Leanne followed the masses to the Great Hall. The stunned expressions were slowly leaving everyone's faces. The battle was over, at least until the hour was up. Katie kept looking back over her shoulder for Marcus, but he was nowhere in sight. Surely, he wasn't amongst the dead. He just had to be alive.

Inside the Great Hall, everyone was in state of panic as the scanned the faces for their loved ones.

"Katie!" Arms pulled Katie close, which quickly let go of her. "Jim!"  
>Katie smiled at Brad and Jasmine. "It's good to see you."<p>

Jasmine let go of Jim. "There's Demi and Nathanial," she said as the couple approached them. She pulled them into a tight embrace. "Where's Marcus? Has anyone seen him?" She didn't bother to mask the panic in her voice.

Katie joined Jasmine in their hunt for Marcus. Several of the faces looked like him, but as they closer, they were only a huge disappointment.

Kingsley walked over to them. "Everyone okay here?"

They all have small cuts and bruises, but nothing major.

"Have you seen Marcus?" Jasmine asked.

"He was on the eighth floor, the last time I saw him," Kingsley said, his voice calm. "Yes, he was alright."  
>"Thank you," Jasmine said.<p>

Professor McGonagall climbed onto the teacher's platform and everyone quickly fell into silence. Many were still looking for their loved ones to come through the main doors.  
>"We have about fifty minutes to gather the dead, treat the wounded, and reorganize our numbers. Professors Flitwick and Sprout will divide you up, if you wish to go and look for loved ones," Professor McGonagall said. "If you are wounded, you will need to remain here for treatment and we are asking anyone who is trained in Healing to stay behind, because, I hate to say it, but your services are going to be required."<br>Katie didn't pay attention to what was being said after that as more people filled into the Great Hall, she recognised some of them, such as Cho Chang, being in Marcus's group.

She got to her feet and rushed over to Cho. "Have you seen him?"  
>Cho looked at Katie. "Um...Yeah, but we got separated. That was right toward the end though, so he should be coming."<br>Katie nodded. "Thanks."

Cho smiled. "No problem."  
>Katie watched as Cho went over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down with their small numbers. Katie kept watching each face. Come on Marcus! He just had to be there!<p>

Damon and Chris were in the next wave of people. Katie had no idea when they arrived, but it didn't stop her from racing over to them. "Marcus?"  
>Damon scanned the Hall. "He's not here, yet?"<p>

"No." Katie's heart was pounding. "I haven' seen him since we were divided up."  
>Damon put his hand on Katie's shoulder. "He'll be here. Just try to stay calm."<p>

Chris had a confused look on his face. He didn't know, he didn't know that Marcus was still alive. Katie had forgotten that he wasn't in the group that was in the know.

"Um, about that..." Katie bit her lip. How was she supposed to tell someone that his friend wasn't dead, had instead faked his death, and not told one of his best friends?

"Marcus is alive," Chris said slowly, not phrasing it like a question.

"Yeah and he's doing fine." Katie looked as a few more people came in, still no Marcus. She didn't want to admit that something was wrong.

Behind them, people were being divided up to gather the dead and tend to the wounded. Katie couldn't make herself move to offer up her services. Chris and Damon both gave her looks of pity as they went to offer their services. Katie stayed glued to her spot. He had to come, she just knew it.

Two more people walked into the Hall, one holding up the other. Katie's heart skipped a beat as she rushed over to them. "Marcus, are you okay?"  
>Marcus sat the blond down on a bench. "Yeah." He had a cut on his forehead, but otherwise looked untouched. "It's a long story."<br>The blond coughed. He was covered in ashes and reeked of smoke. "Crabbe." He hunched over.

Marcus looked down at Draco Malfoy. "Er...He may have hit is head pretty hard. He seems to have me confused for Crabbe."

"I know who you are, Marcus." Malfoy looked at Marcus. "Crabbe, he's dead. He set the bloody place on fire."

Marcus and Katie exchanged looks.

"MARCUS!" Jasmine ran over to them and threw her arms around him. "Where have you been?" She broke away from him and studied him. "Never mind that, thank God you're okay."

Brad approached them. "I'm going out to the grounds..." He trailed off as he looked over at Malfoy's hunched form. "What is he doing here?"

"What else was I supposed to do with? He was carrying on and it was giving me a headache," Marcus huffed.

Brad studied Malfoy's slow movements. "Did you put a Sedative Jinx on him?"

"It was better than knocking him out."

Brad just rolled his eyes as he followed Kingsley out of the Great Hall.

Marcus sat down next to Malfoy. "How many is still missing?"  
>"We don't know," Katie said, joining him as Jasmine rushed off to help a wounded boy.<p>

Marcus ran his fingers of his wand. "How much time do we have left."

"Not enough."  
><strong>Only a few more chapters left! Thanks for coming this far with me!<strong>


	49. Chapter 48: Run Boy Run

Chapter Forty-Eight: Run, Boy, Run

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus looked down at Draco's shaking form. He really didn't know what to do with the boy or why he even brought him here for that matter. He should've just left him in the hall with rubble threatening to fall on him. It would have been better for them all.

Katie kept staring at him, which was making him very nervous. Yeah, he knew that he had caused her to panic, but it wasn't that bad. He was just a few minutes late.

The wounded were starting to wonder in, most of them being supported by one or two others. Marcus watched as many of them were placed on the tables, on the floor, just wherever they could find room.

Nathanial and Ryan were busying themselves over a young girl who looked like she had been attacked by a werewolf. Even from here, Marcus could see that there was no way she was going to make it. Not only had she lost too much blood, but the wounds around her neck were far too deep to heal.

A boy with a broken arm, slumped into the seat next to Marcus. His face was as white as Death itself and he was panting. Wincing he pulled his arm closer to himself and closed his eyes.

"Keep your eyes open," Marcus said as he moved closer to the boy. "And try not to move your arm so much."

The boy opened his eyes. "What difference does it make? What difference does it make it I hurt my arm even more?"

Marcus gripped his own wand. "Let me see it." The break was clean. Nothing all that hard to heal. "It makes a difference. You want to be able to use that arm in the future, don't you?"

"What future? There is none." The boy paused to catch his breath. "You'd better run like the rest of us, the future is not made for us. They're trying to catch us."  
>Marcus didn't answer. <em>"Episkey."<em>

The boy winced as his bone snapped back into place. "Thank you." Without another glace, he darted away toward the Hufflepuff table.

Drcao stared at Marcus. "Do you think he's right?"

"About what?"

"Everything."

Marcus didn't answer right away. "What does it matter to you anyway? You're safer than the rest of us."  
>Draco didn't respond right away. "No, I'm not. I didn't go when he called and I didn't listen to him today. I have failed and now he's going to kill me."<p>

"Good luck with that." Marcus got to his feet. "I have to go do my job." He started to walk away.

"Marcus."  
>He turned. "What?"<p>

Draco blinked. "I never wanted you to get hurt, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. You're my friend and when I found you what you were doing, I had to tell them. Bellatrix was already on to you anyway."

"You always have a choice, you know that."

"I had to prove to them that I had the stomach for this."

Marcus tried not to roll his eyes. "Whatever, I've got stuff to do."

Without looking back, he made his way over to the Ravenclaw table, where the number of injured seemed to be the greatest. Many of them have real simple fixes and it took longer to convince the victim that they weren't dying and if they would hold still, all would be well in a few seconds. Others, on the other hand, made him wonder how they were still standing. Limbs had been crushed and they appeared to be bleeding from the inside. These were the ones that Marcus knew he was going to need more than spells for.

"It hurts," the girls whimpered. Her leg had been crushed by a giant and she had also had part of a wall fall on her.

"I know," Marcus said. "I'm going to require something stronger than a wand."

The girl had tears running down her face and was sobbing.

Marcus got to his feet and rushed up to the staff table. Muttering under his breath, he studied the different potions. Many of them were simple pain killers, but others were so powerful that they could bring someone back who was on the brink of death. He pocketed a small vile of a restoring potion and an even larger one of pain killers. Turning he rushed back to the girl.

"Here, you have to drink all of this." He handed her the smaller vile. "I have to warn you, it's going to taste pretty foul and it's going to hurt pretty bad."

The girl just nodded, before talking a large drink of the potion. She made a face before gasping in pain. The vile started to drop out of her hand, but Marcus reached it before it fell to the floor.

"Come on, you have to keep drinking," Marcus said, keeping his voice steady, but firm.

The girl just blinked at him. "N-no."

"You have to in order to get better." He handed the potion back to her, much to his surprise she took it and started drinking again.

The bones and muscle in her leg started forming back into something that looked like an actual leg, while the rest of her body did the same thing. He had to admit that he was kind of disgusting, but at least it was working.

Katie came over to Marcus and put her hand into his. He was surprised that she was still here and hadn't gone out to collect the dead. They both watched as the girl's body grew still and as she stared up at them with her eyes wide.

"I told you it wouldn't be pleasant," Marcus said.

The girl just nodded. "Thanks, I guess." She slowly got to her feet and darted away from them.

Katie squeezed Marcus's head. "You're doing good."

Marcus sat down at the table. "Katie, there's just too many and we don't have the supplies treat them all. Madam Pomfrey said that what's up here is all there is." He looked down at his hands. "More people are probably going to die up here than in the actual battle."

"You can't blame yourself, Marcus. You really can't save everyone."  
>"I know that, but most of these people don't trust me enough to get close to them, let alone heal them."<br>They both looked up as the first wave of the dead came in. Everyone in the Hall stared, crying as the bodies of friends and family members pasted them. Marcus studied each body, but didn't know the majority of them. A couple times he saw Katie wince and quickly blink. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Fred's dead," Katie whispered. "I saw his body up on the seventh floor."  
>Marcus blinked. He hadn't really been all that close to Fred, but he hated to see Katie suffer. Fred had been a really close friend. "I'm sorry."<p>

Katie didn't answer.

Marcus watched as two more bodies were marched past them. His heart missed a beat, that pink hair was all too familiar and so was the brown-grey hair. There was just simply no way that they both had been hit. It couldn't be true, but it was. He could now see their faces and how it looked like they had been reaching for each other.

Remus and Tonks...They didn't deserve to die! They had a newborn! Teddy would never know his parents, never fully understand why his parents weren't there to tuck him into bed. Marcus found himself wondering if Emily would ever think that of him and Katie.  
>Katie was looking up at him. "I know. Trust me I know."<p>

They held each other, staring as even more bodies came in, trying to tune out the cries of the ones still living.

Potter walked past them with a pale face. Marcus frowned. It was rather odd to see Potter walking around when the Dark Lord wanted to kill him or, worse, give himself up. Why wasn't Potter hiding? Unless, he was actually going to give himself up. Potter stopped and studied the wounded and the dead.

Ron Weasley and Hermione rushed in right behind him. Ron's face fell as he stared down at his dead brother's face. He rushed over to his family with tears running down his face. Marcus watched as the family embraced each other, howling over the body.

He looked away, back towards Potter. Hermione was standing next to him, blinking hard and gulping. Potter muttered something to Hermione, before turning and walking back out the Great Hall. Hermione turned, opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She slowly turned back to the Great Hall, stunned and bleeding from the head. Marcus frowned, why hadn't he noticed that before.

He slowly got to his feet avoiding looking at Remus's and Tonk's bodies and made his way toward Hermione. He didn't know why he was even bothering going over to her, but healing her just seemed like the right thing to do.

Hermione turned to him as he approached. "Marcus." She looked him up and down, as if she was seeing a ghost. "You're okay." She moved toward him and briefly hugged him. "When I heard what happened, I-"  
>"You're head."<p>

She reached up to touch her cut. "It's fine."

"I can heal it, real quick."

"Um...okay." She looked at him, then back out of the Great Hall.

"He's gone to him, hasn't he?" Marcus asked, looking at her cut. It was just a little one, nothing major.

"Yes, he seemed to think that it was the only way."

Katie appeared and handed Hermione a cup of water. "Why does he insist on being the hero?"

Hermione sighed. "I don't know." She winced as Marcus's hands got closer to her cut.

"Sorry," Marcus muttered. "He probably thinks he has something to prove."

"By dying?" Katie asked.

Marcus shrugged. "I don't read minds, so you tell me." He reached into his pocket for his wand. "This should work."

"Should work?" Hermione's voice got real shrill. "I thought you knew what you were doing? This is my head!"  
>"Nice to have you back, Granger, and I do know what I'm doing." He pointed his wand at her cut. <em>"Episkey." <em>He waited for a few seconds, before muttering, "_Tergeo." _

Hermione reached up and touched his head. "Maybe you made for this."

"For what?"

"Healing."

Marcus didn't know how to answer that. He really wasn't all that far into his education, in fact, he hadn't worked on it at all this term. He supposed that some of it do manage to find its way into his head forever.

Hermione looked at the Great Hall entrance. "Maybe there is something in what Harry is doing. The Dark Side made think that by killing him that the war is over, but it's not. We may to run, but it's not the end. The war is not over, not even close. We are going to win."

Ron came over to them, wiping tears from his face. "Are you ready?"

Hermione nodded, pulling Ron's hand into hers. "Let's go finish this."

"I suppose you're not going to tell us what you are doing," Katie said.

Hermione looked them both in the eye. "If you see the snake, kill it. It's the last link to You-Know-Who. With the snake dead, he can be finally killed."

Marcus and Katie exchanged looks as Hermione and Ron walked out of the Great Hall.


	50. Chapter 49: The End of It All

Chapter Forty-Nine: The End of It All

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Katie watched as Hermione and Ron disappeared from view. "The snake." She looked up at Marcus. "What's so important about the snake?"  
>Marcus shrugged. "I have no idea."<p>

She looked over at Marcus, who was now studying the injured in the room. He was lying, he was just simply lying. He knew what was going on. She took a sip of water. They were in all in this together and shutting someone out was not the answer.

Katie moved to the side as more of the dead were being placed in the Great Hall. She looked at the bodies, not knowing any of them. They were all so young, far too young to die.

Outside, the battle was still silent. She looked up at the giant clock over the Great Doors. The hour was almost over and soon the battle would start up again. Through the holes in the walls, she could see that the sun was starting to come up. It was a shame to have such a beautiful on such a tragic day, but it was good to have some beauty in light of recent events.

She sat her cup down on the nearest table and made her way through the masses. So many eyes were trained on the clock, the Hall holding its breath as one. In a few minutes, they would know the truth. They would know if Harry Potter had given himself up or if You-Know-Who himself would enter the castle. No matter want happened, they still had one hell of a fight ahead of them.

Marcus put his arm around Katie. "Don't look."  
>Katie turned to him. "Look at what?"<br>He nodded up at the clock. "If you don't watch, then you don't know how much time we have left."

"I know, but what else am I supposed to do?" She looked around the Great Hall. So many people, so many people who she loved.

"Keep busy and keep moving."

"I'm not a Healer, you know that."

"True, but you could help your husband by making sure that he has plenty of water."

"Oh, is that all he wants?"

"Well, if you are offering."  
>She hit him playfully on the arm. "It's far too public for that and, besides, my dad is watching you."<br>"All the more reason." She could feel his smile on her without even looking.

The clock was still clicking down, the minutes were flying away, all too quickly for her liking. The nervousness in the Hall had skyrocketed, along with the nervous laughter.

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no mare war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together. (Rowling 729)

The room was so silent that you could hear almost every breath that people took. Katie looked over at Marcus. Was it true or was this just some kind of a game that the Dark Side was playing? It couldn't be over, this couldn't be the end of it all.

Outside, she could hear the happy sounds of the Death Eaters. It was true and here they were ready to overtake them. Everyone in the Hall looked at each other. Was there any point in trying to fight them? The Dark Side had the numbers and were just as strong as ever. They didn't feel the loss of life, they didn't know what it was like to suffer from the death of someone you cared.

The doors burst open, revealing the smiling faces of the Dark Side and Hagrid, bound, carrying Harry's limp body. This really was the end. Katie closed her eyes as scream filled her ears. No, no, no! This couldn't be how it ended. This just couldn't be. The path had to have just a little more distance to it, there just had to be a little more somewhere.

She opened her eyes, only to find that nothing had changed. It really was over. Harry Potter was dead and the Dark Lord was making them surrender themselves to him, to do who knows what with him.

She looked up at Marcus. He was traitor in their eyes and the fact that he was here was more than likely going to be killed. She reached over and took his hand into hers. This was not how it was going to end, the show wasn't over yet.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at me feet, where he belongs!" (Rowling 730)

Katie watched as Harry was lowered into the soft glass, just outside the school. He really was dead, all of the life sucked out of him.

"You see?" said Voldemort, walking back and forth over Harry's body. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" (Rowling 730)

Katie gripped Marcus's hand as the crowd pushed them forward. It was like whatever spell that had been placed over them was broken and the masses were now pushing their way closer to the scene unfolding in front of them. Everyone was yelling as the Dark Side, saying that Harry Potter wasn't dead, that the fight would still go on.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself-" (Rowling 731)

Neville Longbottom pushed his way through Marcus and Katie, with a fierce look on his face. His wand was out and it appeared that he was going to single handily take on the entire Dark Side. He took off running over the other side. Voldemort, with a giant smirk on his face, pointed his own wand at Neville. There was a loud bang and, the next thing Katie knew, he was on the ground with Voldemort standing over him laughing.

"And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight in the battle that is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh. 

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Volemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled into fists.

"So what if I am?" Neville said loudly. (Rowling 731)

Katie caught Marcus's eye. She was sure that he had no idea who Neville was, but he looked just as shocked as she did. It took a lot of courage and guts to stand up to someone like this, more than she could ever dream of having.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" (Rowling 731)

Katie found herself joining in on the cheers. There was just something electrifying about it all. This wasn't the end, far from it. This wasn't the path to the of it all, this was the path to a new beginning, a new era full of hope.

Voldemort looked at his Death Eaters, his frown deepening. He was losing his grip.

"Very well," said Voldemort, the danger in the silkiness of his voice was laced, more powerful than any curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it." (Rowling 732)

Marcus and Katie each looks. She stared back at the scene unfolding in front of her. A blast of flame had Neville surrounded, the Death Eaters cheering Voldemort on. Katie winced. It looked very painful, but Neville was not moving, he was just staring the Dark Lord right in the eye.

"Potter," Marcus muttered, pulling his wand out. "He's gone!"

Katie looked around. Hagrid's arms were empty and he was looking around, his eyes big, lost in confusion. He seemed to be saying something, something that she couldn't see or hear.

She reached into her own pocket for her own wand. "When he realizes what's going on, all hell is going to break lose."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I know." His eyes never left Neville.

Katie tightened her grip on her wand as she scanned the crowd. No one else had realized what was going on, they were stilled trained on Neville.

A few of the Death Eaters were now staring at Hagrid's empty hands, slowly backing away. Their mouths were open and they had a feared expressions on their faces. She watched as a few of them slipped away from the group, without any of them realizing that they had left.

She nudged Marcus and pointed at the running Death Eaters. "They know it's over. We've won."

"It's not over, yet. The Dark Lord is still standing."

"Yeah, but it can't go on much longer. Killing Harry was the only reason that they were holding on for. Ideology doesn't mean hardly anything to these people anymore." Katie paused. "You know as well as I do that a lot of them were threatened."

"I know."

A few more Death Eaters took off running, they were not as subtle as their successors. By now about half of the Dark Army was watching, some of them looking like they wanted to follow, others looked like they wanted to murder the deserters.

Many people next to Katie were also pulling out their wands, staring. How could Lord Voldemort not realize that something was going on? How could he not see that his own men were running?  
>Marcus had tightened the grip on his wand, his knuckles were white. "It's going to happen. Get ready."<p>

Katie nodded. "I know. All hell is about to break loss."

Marcus nodded, his jaw clutched. "If it gets too bad, we run. I don't care how badly beaten they are, some things are not worth dying for."

She stared at Marcus. Was he for real or did death really scare him that much? She stared at his eyes, but there was nothing. The threat of death changed people and with his recent dance with it, she didn't really blame him.

She gave his hand one final squeeze. No matter what, this wasn't the end of it all. There was still time for one last ride.

**Only one more chapter and the epilogue! So, I didn't have my book for the last couple hundred of words and I had to make it work the best I could. **


	51. Chapter 50: Last Ride of the Day

Chapter Fifty: Last Ride of the Day

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Woosh...

Marcus looked up as wand sparks raced over his head, barely missing him. A number of people around him had found themselves forced the ground, as the Dark Lord screamed.

Death Eaters were disappearing, while those who were either brave or stupid enough to remain raced forward. The front lines were already clashing in a greater fury than ever. The screams made him want to cover his ears and run for cover.

Katie looked at him. "Well, this is it."

Marcus nodded. "I guess so."

They charged into the masses. Marcus ducked as a killing curse was sent toward him, he didn't even bother looking behind him to see if anyone had been hit. Really, he didn't want to know.

"Get back!" someone screamed. "We're going into the Great Hall!"  
>Marcus's sent a curse toward the Death Eaters. "What?!"<br>"The Great Hall," the boy panted. Already he was bleeding several places. "The Great Hall, we're supposed to get inside."

"That doesn't make any sense. Are they trying to get us all killed?" Marcus snapped.

The boy looked up at him with terrified eyes. "I'm just telling you what I was told." He took off running, disappearing from sight.

Marcus looked around. The Death Eaters were driving them back, even with their weakened numbers. He took off, running back towards the castle. This didn't make any sense to him. He did a quick scan of the battle, no sign of Potter. Was he actually dead or was Marcus's mind just playing tricks on him? He could have swore that Hagrid's arms had been empty.

Inside the Great Hall, people were battling in close quarters. Marcus could see several people duelling Voldemort at once and, by the looks of it, they were losing. How could one wizard be so powerful?

"You!"

Marcus make the stupid mistake of turning to see who was talking to him.

Bellatrix had her wand pulled out and was pointing it right at Marcus's heart. "I killed you."

Marcus raised his own wand and pointed it at her. "Did you ever think to check for a body or are you really that stupid, bitch?"

Bellatrix snarled at him. _"Crucio!" _

Marcus gasped as pain soared through his body. Unable to keep himself upright, he feel to his knees, eyes watering.

"You deserve to die!" Bellatrix screamed.

The curse ended, Marcus scrambled to his feet, pointing his wand at her. "_Confringo!"_

With a quick wave of her wand, the curse disappeared, leaving her standing, unharmed. Her shrill laughter filled his ears. "Do you really think you can best me?" She started charging toward him, wand still pointed at him. "Do you really think you, little boy? You're nothing more than a child. _Expelliarmus!" _

Marcus watched hopelessly as his wand soared out of his hand and landed several metres away from him. He backed up, stumbling over one of the benches lining the walls. If he could get high enough, he could probably jump down and get away from her. He looked at the benches, there was no way he could, because he would have to put his back to her and there was no way in God's little creation that he was going to do that.

"_Stupefy!" _

Bellatrix froze as the spell struck her square in the book.

Marcus looked over at his saviour. "Thanks."

Hermione bent down, picked up his wand, and walked over to him. "No problem."

Marcus took his wand from her, just as Bellatrix regained movement. Ginny and another girl, who Marcus didn't know, rushed over to them. Bellatrix and Voldemort, who was fighting about fifty yards away, were duelling multiple people and besting them.

A Killing Curse shot close to Ginny, missing her by centimetes.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" 

Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. They watched with terror and elation as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and become a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill. (Rowling 736)

Marcus looked at Hermione. Both of them had confused looks on their faces. He tightened the grip on his wand. Jasmine came rushing over to aid them.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!" (Rowling 736)

Marcus found himself being forced back against the wall by his mother. "What do we do?"

Jasmine had her eyes forced on the two remaining fights: Voldemort and his three opponents and Molly and Bellatrix. Voldemort's was filled with cold hatred. "Stay out of the way and stay alive," she hissed in a way that he had never heard before. She was standing in front of Marcus, shielding him.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone in the save as Freddie?"  
><span>"You-will-never-touch-our-children-again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.<span>

Bellatrix laughed. 

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to budge: for the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed. (Rowling 737)

Marcus watched in horror as McGonagall, Kingsley, and a teacher who he didn't know where blasted backwards, no longer in control of their own bodies. Voldemort turned, his face filled with fury as the last of his loyal friends fell, exploded into nothing more than a pile of dust. He raised his wand, pointing it at all Molly Weasley.

"_Protego!" _someone screamed.

Marcus's dark eyes looked through his mother's bushy hair, but could see nothing. The Shield Charm expanded in the middle of Hall. Voldemort's eyes scanned the Hall, as Harry Potter pulled off an Invisibility Cloak.

"He's alive," Katie whispered.

Marcus jumped. He hadn't even noticed that she was now standing next to him.

"Are you okay? I saw was happened," she whispered again.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, what about you?"

"Never better."

Voldemort and Potter were staring at each other, appearing as if they were daring one another to move. Then, they began to circle each other, in a match to the death.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said, loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to me."

Voldemort hissed. 

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and of us is about to leave for good."  
><span>"One of us," jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his read eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"<span>

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry. They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, and for Harry no face existed but Voldemort's. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

"Accidents!" Voldemort screamed. (Rowling 737-738) 

Marcus looked on frozen. His head felt heavy, almost as if he was underwater and unable to breath. He slide his hand into Katie's. There was still time to pull this off. Even though it looked like it was over, there was still time for one final ride of the day.

Katie's blue eyes locked onto his. "Whatever happens, I love you."  
>Marcus nodded. "Love you too."<br>The pair in the centre of the Hall were circling each other with greater intensity, still jeering at each other. A part of Marcus wished that they would hurry up and get this over with, while another part didn't want to see how it ended.

He tuned out their bantering. He didn't want to listen to them go on about love, the dead, and figuring out who owned some stupid wand. The Elder Wand was just a fairy tale, everyone knew that, everyone but these two.

A red glow burst suddenly over Marcus's head. He looked up at the enchanted ceiling, but saw nothing. Turning his attention elsewhere, he saw something that he had been longing. There it was! The edge of the early morning sun appeared over the sill of a widow. The light struck both Potter and Voldemort, causing them both to appear as a flaming blur.

Marcus winced at the shriek of two very, very different spells.

_"Avada Kedavra!"  
>"Expelliarmus!"<br>_ The boom of the cannon blast sent Marcus's ears ringing. Golden flames erupted from the pair, ending in the dead centre of their death circle. Marcus stared at the green light, saw something, maybe a wand, go flying through the air toward Potter, who reached out and caught the wand. Voldemort fell backward, his arms splayed as if he were giving himself up to the heavens, the eyes nothing more than rolling slits. He hit the floor, feeble and shrunken, with his hands empty and soul long gone. The Dark Lord was no more and the Boy Who Lived stood over him like the gods of Mount Olympus.

Marcus and Katie looked at each other stunned. Was the Dark Lord really gone? Did what they just saw actually happen?  
>"HE'S DEAD!" a boy screamed to the right of Marcus, his voice filled with joy. "HE'S DEAD! WE'VE WON!"<br>Cheers erupted in the Hall as the masses charged forward into the sunlight, eager to get a closer look at the man they feared and to touch Potter.

Katie threw her arms around Marcus's neck. "We did it!"

Marcus leaned in and kissed. Yes, they had done it. They had made it to the end of another day. Damon caught Marcus's eye and smiled, something he hadn't done in such a long time.

Everything was just happening to fast. There were celebrations of grief and joy, chanting and crying. A new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was named, the Death Eaters were either on the run or being captured, and the innocents were finally being let go. Voldemort's body was carried off to someplace that Marcus didn't know.

Food appeared from nowhere as Marcus settled down at the Slytherin table with his friends and family. Katie, still glowering, leaned into him. "What next?"

Marcus shrugged. All he wanted was a hot meal and a good night's sleep.

Katie bit into a piece of chicken. "We could always figure that out tomorrow."

Tomorrow was a new day, one that could be filled with who knows what, but, for today, he just wanted to relax and get off of this ride. There was just something good about returning to normalcy, especially when things haven't been normal for so long.

**Oh my gosh, guys, there's just the epilogue left. Wow, I can't believe that this is almost over. I've been working on this for four years now and it's almost gone. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Thanks for reading! **


	52. Epilogue: Safe and Sound

Epilogue: Safe and Sound

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

**Two Years Later **

Katie ran her hands through her long blond hair as she stared down over hill at the large lake. Things had been quiet for over two years now. She scanned the mist. Where was he? He didn't normally take this long. He just had to be up to something.

"I'm here," a figure said, coming out of the mist.

Katie put her arms around his waist. "I know. I just don't like all of the mist. I really bothers me, you can't see if anyone is coming."  
>"It's been two years. Nothing's going to happen." Marcus put his hand on her stomach. "You need to stop worrying. It's not good for you."<br>She smiled. "So, you're the one telling what to do and not to do?"

He just smiled. "You know I would ever do that."  
>Emily came up and wrapped her arms around his legs. She stared up at them. "Mummy's just worried about dinner getting cold."<br>"Oh, I see how it is."  
>"Damon and Haley are here, now," Katie said.<p>

"And you left them with our parents?"  
>She shrugged. "What else was I supposed do?"<br>Teddy ran out onto the deck. He and Emily had formed some kind of friendship over the past six months. "I'm hungry!"  
>"Well, we can go eat now that we are all here," Katie said, giving Marcus a pointed look.<p>

"Yay!" Teddy yelled. He grabbed Emily's arm and they ran back inside.

"I suppose that's our cue," Marcus muttered, following the children inside.

Katie nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is." She only hoped that she would be able to actually keep this down. The food looked so good. Granted, it hadn't been too bad so far, but she did find herself holding her breath while she ate and wanting to kill Marcus for doing this to her. Why couldn't the male suffer a little bit?

Marcus looked back at her. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I guess." She joined him at the sliding door. "I'm the one eating for two, so I have a reason to eat more. You don't." She brushed past him. There, let him think on that.

"I do play Quidditch for a living and burn a lot of calories."  
>Of course, he would have a comeback!<p>

"Whatever."

"Are you admitting that I won?"  
>"I'm not admitting to anything."<p>

Marcus grinned at her. "Did you ever think that two years ago we would be standing here?"  
>The house looked untouched, everyone was finally safe and sound. Katie peeked in through the window. Everyone was gathered around the table, laughing and smiling. She peered back over the lake, the Dark Mark had not appeared in the sky for two years. All was well, the battle was won.<p>

The teardrops had stopped, the storm was over. Everyone was safe and sound. The sun had set down over the darkness and in the morning light everything was beautiful.

"I never lost hope," Katie whispered, leaning into him.

"I knew you were going to say that."

She stood up tall and kissed his sweet lips. The best adventures were yet to come and she was looking forward to spending each day with the ones she loved, because that truly was the heart of everything.

~Fin~

**Gasp! It's over! Thanks for reading! I don't know if I'll ever write another series for fanfiction. I am getting to be more and more active on fictionpress. Feel free to check me out over there: AlysonSerenaStone. **


	53. Soundtrack

Author's Note

I rated this story "T" for brief mild language, violence, sensuality, and innuendo.

Okay, you guys should know by now that I get most of my story ideas from music. So, here's the artists and songs that made this story possible.

After Forever: Being Everyone

Amaranthe: The Nexus

Amberian Dawn: Arctica

Ancient Bards: Through My Veins

Arch Enemy: War Eternal

Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare

Delain: Stardust

Demi Lovato: Heart by Heart

Diabulus In Musica : Sceneries of Hope

Draconian: The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight

Elis: Der Letzte Tag

Epica: Storm the Sorrow

Epica: The Essence of Silence

Flyleaf: Call You Out

Infected Rain: Me Against You

Kamelot: Rule the World

Lacey Strum featuring Geno Lenrado: Heavy Prey

Lacuna Coil: Nothing Stands In Our Way

Leaves' Eyes: Into Your Light

Lyriel: Paranoid Circus

Macbeth: Without You

Nemesea: Afterlife

Nemesea: Caught in the Middle

Nightwish: Amaranth

Nightwish: Ghost Love Score

Nightwish: Last Ride of the Day

Nightwish: The Crow, The Owl and the Dove

Niobeth: The Whispers of Rain

November 7: Parasite

Powerwolf: Amen and Attack

Ravenscry: This Funny Dangerous Game

ReVamp: Here's My Hell

Rhapsody of Fire: Rain of a Thousand Flames

Sad Alice Said: Open Your Eyes

Serenia: The End of It All

Serenity: Wings of Madness

Sonata Arctica: Don't Say a Word

Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars: Safe and Sound

The Agonist: Business Suits and Combat Boots

The Birthday Massacre: In the Dark

The Civil Wars: The One That Got Away

The Pretty Reckless: Absolution

Theatre of Tragedy: Dreams and Ashes

Therion: Sitra Ahra

Tristania: Year of the Rat

U.N.S.I.N: Acid

UnSun: Lost Innocence

Van Canto: The Mission

Voices of Destiny: All Eyes on Me

Within Temptation featuring Howard Jones: Dangerous

Within Temptation: Shot in the Dark

Woodkid: Run Boy Run

Underlined parts of the text: _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow _by J.K. Rowling, text copyright 2007. All underlined parts of this fanfiction belong to their respected owners. No profit was made from this story.


End file.
